Sogeking Reborn
by bibliophile030
Summary: You know about those stories where real-world readers get dumped into their favorite manga/TV show, etc, etc? I envy them. Because not only did I get randomly self-inserted, but I get reincarnated! Tell me unknown force, what did I do to you! It's not like I had died (I hope). And what did I deserve to be this guy? You could have at least kept my gender the same... !Edited!
1. Chapter 1

Why Him?!

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A/N: Another experiment. I don't plan to tend to this one too much, since I kind of thought up this idea…two days ago? Was reading this one Naruto story about an SIC-reincarnation. Then I read this great story putting Usopp as the main character. I got to thinking that there weren't too many Usopp-centric stories, and I kind like the idea of the Naruto one, so here we have this. Not sure if too many people will read this…Nmma, oh well. I like to write, and this is an interesting experiment.

Well, tell me, readers, what you think of it. Be sure to follow, vote, and leave a review. Even a few words can tell me if this is worth publishing further than the three chapters I have down so far.

* * *

"AAAAAAAaaaahhhhh!"

One of the most used tropes in fanfiction is the self-insert or character falling into the plot. Sometimes, some great and powerful entity declares that some random bystander or fan gets to go into their favorite manga, TV show, et cetera. Or maybe an idiot went and said the wrong thing, and that [insert entity here] happened to take offense. At other times, you get to be reincarnated as an OC (original character) or replace an existing character.

So, what god did I offend to become not only some kid, but to become _him_ of all people.

In the mirror, I saw three things: curly black hair; a green bandana; and most importantly of all, the beginnings of a painfully long Pinocchio-themed nose.

As a longtime fan of One Piece (manga and anime) as well as various fanfictions, I knew exactly who this guy looking back at me was. Or rather, who I had become. _Why universe, why did you make me Usopp?!_ First, I was a girl before this, that I knew for sure (whatever entity or phenomena that decided to stick me here also had fiddled with my personal memories). Second, Usopp was considered the weakest and less popular of the Straw Hats. Don't get me wrong, the guy improved a lot after the time skip. But…he was Usopp. A terrible liar, a coward, the guy who nearly tore his crew apart with his thoughtless words during the Water Seven arc. He was Oda-sama's deliberately most human character of the Straw Hat gang.

I let my head thump against the wall of my little home.

 _Okay, quit moping around and do what you do best. Think!_ Alright, maybe Usopp's character wouldn't be that bad of a fit for me. I have to admit, like our favorite Long Nose, I was a terrible liar too, not the most brave or outgoing person for adventures, and had a mountain of insecurity issues. But, maybe I could use this to improve the guy. Usopp may have been the most human, but he had a lot of potential, too. If I added my scholarly tendencies, wit, and bibliophilic knowledge of One Piece, maybe I could pull off not dying.

I established a few things. One, a quick look my birth certificate and the calendar declared me eight-years-old. Two, according to the angrily thrown obituary shoved into a corner, Banchina, my mother, died a year ago. Today, in fact. I made a note to take some of the small savings I found to purchase a candle for her. Third, I seemed to retain all of Usopp's memories from this point back as well as some lingering emotions if the melancholy I felt after looking at the date was any clue. Fourth, I could recall lots from my (multiple) readings of One Piece but just about nothing about my personal life, just studies, pop culture, and things like that. Except for the slight feeling my life back home was uninteresting and kind of lonely.

But, just because I remembered things now, didn't mean I would later. I made another note on my things-to-do-now list to purchase a few notebooks and start writing. Speaking of lists, my own was penned in English for secrecy. Whatever inexplicable force that left me here had deigned to leave me that on top of Usopp's own literacy and understanding of Japanese (or whatever One Piece characters would refer to their own language). Although…literacy would be stretching it. Village boy meant not too much formal tutoring or inclination to do so.

I took out another spare sheet of paper and titled it, Life Goals. I listed things in order of execution:

1\. Develop a workout plan (I couldn't be a house shut-in, I needed at least some of those muscles from post-time skip Usopp if I want to do what I planned to do). Maybe work on haki and Rokushiki, I at least knew the principles of the former, and the specifics of one of the more useful of the six powers.

2\. Earn villagers' trust (no running around as the boy who cried pirate).

3\. Create an emergency fund (I rather not be in debt to Nami as much as Zoro). I think Usopp lived off his neighbors' kindness, at least in the beginning after his mother died. But, maybe he did handyman work which would explain a bit about how he knew roughly what to do to patch up _Merry._ I would probably have to do odd jobs and stuff around the village eventually – I don't like being in their debt, perceived as it might be. Were there more of them on the Gecko Islands? I hope so, then I could incorporate that into my workout plan.

4\. Plan out how to handle Kuro when he arrives. I had no illusion that he could pretty much kill me out of hand if he so much as got a hint I knew something. So, ignorance was bliss, and underhanded preparations makes life sweeter.

5\. Save who I could. Portgas D. Ace, Edward Newgate (though, I had some doubts how I could possibly manage that), among others.

But there was the voice in my head relating what every reader of SIC fanfiction knew: fate, and pardon my language, would try and screw us over with butterfly effects and twisted up scenarios to maintain the status quo. When we thought something would work out, usually something we didn't know would come and bite us back later. I need only refer to This Bites by the great Xomniac to know that much.

Though, I prayed to the whatever-force that I was in the manga and not the anime (since that was fresher in my mind, plus I only ever watched the one movie. I rather not get into the craziness of Shiki or Kami forgive the Baron Omatsuri *shudder*).

With all these things in mind, I left my house to familiarize myself with my home for the next several years.

So, that's my introduction. Let's see how my plan pans out.

New inhabitant of Usopp's body, out.


	2. Chapter 2

Enter: Straw Hat, Pirate Hunter, and Cat Burglar

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A/N: Hey, I got some reviews already! Thanks for your input Hitler's Moustache and Miniwolfy2. I'll probably leave the [insert choice of entity here] as the ambiguous force that it is, but who knows what will happen in the future chapters? And about Usopp being the least likable Straw Hat, well, that might be more of the kind of thing I got from a few of my friends' opinions since he is rather lackluster when held against his fellow pirates. I still like him as a Straw Hat, though, and certainly within the 10th percentile of the overall characters I like.

Nmma, well, I guess in light of having reviews, I'll post this chapter. Thank you for your input!

As always, readers, feel free to vote, follow, and review! I always enjoy seeing people who care about a story other than myself.

* * *

"See you tomorrow, Merry-sensei!"

A young man strolled from a well-established mansion, whistling the tune to an old pirating song. He had tan skin, stood a littler under six feet, and wore brown overalls over a long-sleeved sea green shirt, had on a white sash, and sported a combo of gloves and boots. His wooly dark brown hair had grown somewhat long over the past few months, held tied back and framed by a green plaid bandana. Goggles hung over it.

Nine years have passed since I first woke up as Usopp. A lot of things stayed the same, like Syrup Village itself. But, a lot of things changed, too. One, I was way more modest about my appearance than anyone in One Piece practically, so I preferred wearing long-sleeved shirts and some pants under my overalls. Just in case. I looked pretty similar to the old Usopp of the manga, with some minor differences. I still looked slim, especially covered up and in these longer and less baggy pair of overalls, but I had lean muscles from my daily sprints along the valleys and mountains scattered across the island. My gloves helped protect my hands as I tried various exercises (punching trees really did hurt), and they came in hand with one of my more regular jobs: acting as Merry's apprentice.

In the past several years, once I decided I worn out my neighbors' goodwill long enough, I offered to do a bunch of little things for my neighbors: deliveries, running errands, shopping for the elderly, help out a farm or two. Small stuff. It helped the villagers think I must have finally grown out of my blatant lying phase after the anniversary of my mother's death. Slowly but surely, I became someone dependable to them, if a bit mischievous and odd. Okay, maybe I didn't quite lose my rep as a liar, but it was more affectionate (or annoyed) since I liked to tell stories and pranked people more than wake them up while running in the streets.

After a while, I expanded my range of services once I could run across the island without half-dying. I began to run an easy mail route for a few villages which benefited people who didn't want to come all the way out to the piers or the mailing office in the central village for their packages and letters. Gradually, I became the fastest person on around and the primary mail runner.

On one of those mail runs a few years back, Merry saw me admiring a visiting ship. He inquired on my interests in repair work, and the next thing I knew, I was practically apprenticed under him. Granted, we only had one ship, but it was the dream of many a fan to even stand on the _Going Merry_ , the ship of some of the most memorable adventures of the Straw Hats. He taught me things Usopp probably would have never learned how to do properly before meeting a proper shipwright, like patchwork repairs and proper care of the sails (turned out, I did in fact retain Usopp's physical skills along with knowledge, else it would have been pretty annoying to learn how to shoot a slingshot or how not to hurt myself with the tools). I not only got a good bit of knowledge from this, but the nice old man even gave me a small salary for my time and efforts.

I was by no means a Franky or even a real shipwright, but I could probably help _Merry_ more in the long run.

Right now, after careful resourcing, tips, and steady pay, I had about an amazing 50,000 beli in my possession. More than enough to start me up, especially considering I use the rest for living expenses and what I call my pirate investments, like ammo, a variety of clothes to handle the Grand Line's wonky weather, and some basic medical supplies. I also had quite the collection of books and journals packed away.

"Captain Usopp!"

 _Here comes one of fate's must-be's_. I was respected in Syrup Village and most of the Gecko Islands as a hardworking and clever young man. Yet, I still somehow assembled the Usopp Pirate Group.

During one of my impromptu training sessions, the trio of vegi's Piiman, Ninjin, and Tamanegi, tiny chibi's then, had followed me into the forest where they proceeded to gape as the unassuming village boy somehow made perfect circles of assorted types of ammo on trees just within Ginga Pachinko's range. I didn't notice them until one accidently stepped on a twig during the lulls between shots. I may or may not have nearly caused one to lose their bowels as I fired off a pachinko ball in warning. Right over their heads and pinning a falling leaf.

They asked me a ton of questions once they calmed down, like how I got such good aim (genetics and training), why I trained out here (peaceful and less likely to hit someone), and most importantly of all, why I trained so hard.

The last one I answered pretty honestly; I wanted to be a great warrior of the sea like my dad and hopefully follow in his footsteps as a pirate in my own right.

Next thing I knew, the Usopp Pirate Group was born.

I did my best by the boys and taught them valuable lessons from basic self-defense (that I myself studied from books, so…), how to aim and use a slingshot, and some educational stuff. In return, the boys became my eyes and ears around the island. They kept an eye on Klahadore when he passed through the village (on the premise that I didn't like the guy and wanted to know the best way to stay out of his way, a half-truth), and kept me up-to-date on the rumor mill.

Speaking of "Klahadore" _,_ I found out for sure about Kaya's bad turn of illness these past few years. After slipping out some of her tea and performing some basic chemical tests I found from this one book, I identified what looked suspiciously like poison. But, by then Klahadore had the protection of Kaya's parents, then Kaya herself this last year. If I outed Kuro, the man would see me dead or unable to be a problem for the near future. But that didn't mean I did nothing; I would often visit Kaya after working with Merry and share with her some of my latest creations. Living alone inspired someone to either cook lazy or cook creatively. I was not Sanji, but my food at least was edible and pretty tasty. Plus, the practice with collecting wild herbs could come in handy when pop greens became my _modus operandi_. Especially since I mixed in some plants common for combatting the identified poisons or the symptoms at best.

And as much as I hated the events leading to it, the two-year time skip was necessary for developing the Straw Hats into the powerhouses who departed Sabaody. Plus, the whole thing with Hody is an event I would rather not miss.

Now, back to my chibi trio of followers.

"Hey Piimon, Ninjin. Tamanegi late in bed again?"

Both shrugged. "Maybe?" "Yeah, probably so."

"EEemergencyyyyy! Captain Usopp, our greatest fears have come true! Pi-*huff, huff*-rates are coming!"

"Pirates?!" yelled the other two.

I nodded my head, face grave. "Men, the day we've been preparing for all year has arrived."

"Wait, you knew this would happen, Captain?" yelped Ninjin. "Is that why you have a habit of watching the northern slope every day?"

"Wow, then he must have known something as disastrous as this would happen in the year of his seventeenth birthday, 'cause that's how long he's been going out there!" remarked Piiman.

"CAN THE CAPTAIN READ THE FUTURE?!" huffed/yelled Tamanegi.

I smirked. "Boys, boys, see the future? Maybe one day, but I, the Great Captain Usopp, haven't even made it to the first step of the process," I spoke truthfully. I soaked in their astonished expressions. "However, my secrets sources which I shan't reveal have told me pirates would one day come here in my seventeenth year, that I can confirm for you. But as you know, those secrets must remain that: a secret. But, why are we still standing around here when we can be raided at any time? Tamanegi, may I have my scope back while we're at it?"

All three boys panicked. I shook my head and dumped a water balloon over them to knock them back to their senses. I took my hand telescope back from the onion-wearer, and ordered for everyone to set out with the supplies in tow.

* * *

We came to the northern slope, the pirate ship still a way out. I cracked my knuckled and ordered the Usopp Pirate Group to get to work.

There they were. My inner fangirl gasped in astonishment. Nami was quite pretty in person (not that I was really moved, teenaged male or not), Zoro's gait had a touch of a falter, no doubt from Buggy's low move, and there _he_ was. Monkey D. Luffy, the straw hat passed from king to future emperor, to the future ruler of the seas, sitting prominently on his head.

From the branches of a sturdy tree, I call out, "Pirates, state your business! I recognize that mark, so why do the Buggy Pirates want with a rural place as the Gecko Islands?"

"Oh? So, there is a welcoming committee," smirks Zoro.

Nami looks peeved and replies, "Whoever you are, we aren't with Buggy! We just stole one of his ships!"

"But we are pirates!" adds Luffy unhelpfully.

"Wouldn't theft make you thieves, though?" I state questioningly.

"Pirates are thieves," Zoro agrees, "but technically the only true thief we have is this greedy witch."

"Hey!" Nami shouts, turning on heel to face the pirate hunter.

"Very well. Turn back now or face the wrath of my own four-men pirate crew! Our invincible defense has yet to fail us (in the trial runs)!" I brag. "For I am the brave and great Captain Usopp of the Usopp Pirate Group!"

Zoro scoffs, "Four men? I only see you. And how does four people make a crew?"

"You have two," Nami deadpanned.

"Enough pleasantries! Men, pop, crackle, and sizzle!"

Several projectiles fire on them: firecrackers and the accompanying matches to set them off.

In addition, I had Tamenegi throw in a few popcorn bombs to sow confusion. Which Luffy ate, but eh, I expected that result.

The pirate hunter and navigator were less amused.

"Bastard!" shouts Zoro.

At his demonic glare (which sent my own legs trembling), the boys pack it. I couldn't blame them in the least. I told them as much to run at the first sign of danger, after all. The two pirates and one future pirate leg it right up to my cliffside. I had already jumped down from my tree.

"You little-!" snarls Nami. I backed away but blustered on principle, "S-stay back! Those three were my apprentices, I have to admit, but I actually have dozens of other followers waiting in the wings should you even lay a hand on me!"

"Wow, really?" gapes Luffy.

Nami looks at me blankly and states, "You're lying."

"Crud, you found me out!" I dramatically holler, backing behind the tree.

" _Shishishi!_ You're funny, long-nosed guy!"

I puff up my chest indignantly and warn him, "Don't go insulting me sea scum! I am a proud man whose efforts has led people to call me Usopp the Noble!"

* * *

And that was how one made a good first impression. I took the pirates and guest to the local (and only) restaurant in my village and offered to foot the bill as an apology.

"So, you guys came here to find crewmembers and a ship?" I inquired.

"Yup, that's right," answered Luffy as he tore off a piece of (you guessed it) meat. The sight of so much food going down the rubber man's gullet hurt both my appetite and my wallet.

"Wow, sounds like you're getting set for some great adventures! Too bad you came here for those things, though. Syrup Village is small, and these islands aren't known for sailing ships. However, I can think of but one place you can find one," I stated with a considering look.

"Really? Where?"

I leaned in close and said, "On this island, there is a huge mansion, not far from here, actually. The people there are the richest folks on all of the Gecko Islands. I work there as an apprentice, helping the man who built the one ship we have. I know the owner of the mansion, actually, though I have to warn you, she's but a young girl around our age whose incredibly frail! For as long as I've known her, she has been bedridden and had poor health." As I thought, Luffy didn't listen to a word I said.

I yelled irritably, "If you bother to ask for something, then listen!" I shake my head and turn back to Nami and Zoro – who wasn't really paying that much attention anyway. "…hers is a sad tale. About a year ago, she lost her parents in an accident, leaving her the mansion, the money, and a house full of servants. Yet, she really is very lonely girl cooped up in there. No matter how much someone has, money alone doesn't fill the gaps family and friends leave."

I knew I hit a chord with Nami with that statement as her expression stilled. She told her traveling companions they would look elsewhere for a ship. Luffy laughed and continued to stuff his face, stating they had time to enjoy the food.

 _And this is where I make my offer._ I smiled boldly and asked, "You guys are looking for crewmates, right? I'll join you if you make me captain!"

"No thanks," they all said without hesitation. I turned around and sulked.

* * *

Like always, I left to go and meet up with Kaya on the downlow. I took a seat by the tree and began to weave my stories. It still astonished me how easily they came. "Klahadore" didn't like me, like in the canon, and Kaya worried about me showing up all the time to meet with her. I laughed and told her not to worry.

When I heard voices, I had to force my hand to relax on my slingshot. As much as I loved seeing my best friend's eye sparkle as I told my lies, the former pirate captain made me sharpen I guard especially here of all places.

And, since Luffy couldn't do anything quietly, the butler got involved.

"Hey! What do you miscreants think you're doing?! You can't simply wander inside the grounds so nonchalantly!" huffs the disguised pirate.

"Great, _him,_ " I sniff, annoyed and looking away.

"Klahadore-san…" Kaya murmurs despondently. "Listen, Klahadore-san, these people-"

"Shouldn't be here," the man interrupts her quite rudely, "especially in your condition! I do not care for their why's, they must leave here immediately! If they have a reason, then we can discuss it _after_ they vacate the premises."

The butler turns to them with an overly dignified air. _If only they knew the true you, former pirate captain._ "Please leave the mansion and the grounds. Unless you have something to say for yourselves?"

"Yeah, can I have a boat?"

"No," was his clipped reply. I try to sneak away while he was distracted.

"You…Usopp-kun, what are you doing here?" I freeze in my tracks. "You may have quite the reputation in town and work here part-time, but I must insist you only come here _only_ for work, or should I take this up with your overseer?" Klahadore warns me, adjusting his glasses with the heel of his hand. The urge to break them was strong. But I would pay for it later if I did. And, above all, I was cautious when it came to this man after three years.

"Is it a crime to be seen afterhours by my workplace?"

"So, the sightings of you as reported by the guards are true."

I smirk, "Now, I don't think I said that, now did I? I am, after all, the Great Captain Usopp! I happened to notice a few weeds missed here and there, so I took the time to come back and take care of them." I gesture toward the freshly cleared patch of grass with a handful of wildflowers and crabgrass freshly plucked.

"As I remember, you have quite the silver-tongue, Usopp-kun. But, you don't have quite the sterling reputation as you have everyone in this village thinking."

"What?" I ask, eyes narrowing.

"I've heard some things about that father of yours. The one who abandoned you and your dying mother. You might help out every once in a while, but that doesn't change the fact that in the end you're nothing more than the son of a filthy pirate. I'll allow you to come here under the eyes of my coworker and the guards, but I wouldn't doubt you have more than the mansion and my mistress's well-being in your thoughts. I do not want you to visit my mistress any longer except at a distance when you arrive here, nothing more. Understand?"

 _Hypocrite_ I internally shoot back. _The only person with more than altruistic intent is standing right in front of me spouting drivel!_

"A pirate?" Nami inquires softly.

"Huh," was Luffy's intelligent response.

My emotions and Usopp's sentiments boiled into a drastic mix. I seethe, "Don't bring my father or mother into this, Klahadore!"

Klahadore coolly inquires, "Why do you need to keep coming here, to my mistress's side? If you desire more money than what your generous income allows…? How much would it be?"

Kaya exploded at the butler, but the bastard kept on talking.

"My, it must be quite the mark of shame. You, whom the villagers respect, having the blood of a lowly and foolish "treasure-mad" pirate who left his village and family behind without looking back," he sneers at me.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I rush him and did as I wanted; I punch the glasses-wearing cat bastard in the face and shout, "Shut up! I'm not ashamed of him! I'm proud! Proud of my father who went out to sea to become a pirate! He is a brave warrior of the seas, and one day, so will I! You're right, it's nice that the villagers accept me, even though I'm still quite the troublemaker now and again, but that doesn't me I denounced my heritage! To me, my pirate blood is a mark of respect! I am Usopp, the island's best sharpshooter, dependable guy, and the son of a pirate!"

Klahadore takes a seat on the grass as I speak. "Dependable liar, what a contradiction. Yet, that is what you are known as on this island. You do all sorts of thing for this village, yet you still feel compelled to lie now and again, like you did as a child from what I hear. You may not be running around crying "pirate", but you still weave those stories for the village children and now my mistress. And now we see you true self; a miscreant who uses violence when you lose your temper."

 _Don't you dare…_

"I thought your constant afterhours visits were so you can weasel more money from my mistress…"

I growl low but say nothing. Well, I had nothing I would say in Kaya's presence if I did.

"…however, your motive means nothing! If you are the son of a pirate, then I have every reason to be suspicious of you and forbid your presence here when not working. In fact, I am of mind to have a talk with Merry about your continued employment here."

The only thing holding me back from slugging him again was Kaya. Images of who this man truly was flashing through my mind as she continues to defend him. "Klahadore _"_ slaps away my hand and dismisses me. I glare once and walk away without a word even as he keeps denouncing me.

* * *

I sighed as I looked over the ocean. I didn't even flinch when Luffy swung down from the tree above me. I didn't have Kenbunshoku, but my senses were all pretty keen after so many hours of meditating in the quiet of the forest and mountains.

"There is a better way to announce yourself," I stated, unimpressed.

"Hey, your dad's name…it wouldn't be Yassop, would it?"

I smiled as the memories of the man panned through, like grainy film, but still treasured and beloved. The original Usopp was probably about six when his father left; the same age Luffy was when Red-Hair Shanks last came to East Blue. I put on the appropriate astonished face and gasped, "You know my dad?!"

"Know him, _shishishi,_ I met him back when I was a little kid!" Luffy said. "You look a lot like him-"

"Except for the hair color and nose, my mom used to say that, too," I inputted, a little distant as her kind face flashed in my mind.

" _Shishishi,_ he used to say that, too! No wonder you look kind of familiar when I first met you, but I only figured it out just a bit ago."

"Do you know where he is?" I asked automatically. _In the New World probably_ my mind supplied.

"Dunno," shrugged Luffy. "But the one thing I know, he is one Red-Hair Shanks's ship! He was one of my favorite pirates in that crew!"

" _The_ Red-Hair Shanks?!" I gasped at the appropriate time.

"Hmm? Do you know him?" gaped Luffy.

"Know him? Red-Hair Shanks's name is up there with people like Whitebeard! He's one of the four rulers of the Grand Line, a Yonko!"

"Yonko?"

I run a tired hand down my face. "Sheesh, you don't know anything, do you? The four Yonkos control the Grand Line as one of the three great governing powers alongside the seven Shichibukai and the admirals of the Navy! Their members are like a big deal by virtue of their association!"

"Wow, I didn't know Shanks was that famous, _shishishi!_ "

"You're hopeless," I deadpanned. "But, thanks for telling me. To think, my dad is on the ship of a Yonko…"

"I liked seeing him shoot most of all! He was the best, and never missing anything in his range. He used to talk about you all the time, too."

I kept up the small talk, half a mind on the coast below us. And there he was.

"Hey, Usopp? Isn't that the butler?"

"Yeah, and he's with some weirdo, too! Luffy, get down!"

We listened intently as Klahadore and Jango spoke of their assassination plot. Of the butler's true name.

"Luffy," I hissed, "Captain Kuro is the name of a really famous pirate a few years back. He was a merciless pirate captain who always carefully thought out his plans. They say he died, though, caught by the marines and executed. Three years to be exact. That's how long he's been living on the island…"

They kept talking. I didn't even bring up Luffy's poor listening skills and stated as simply as I could about their 3-year plan to earn Kaya's trust before having their crew trick her into handing over her money and assassinating her along with the villagers. I didn't waste words on how screwed I was for punching the guy.

Like I really hope he wouldn't, Luffy stood up and drew the two's attention. Luckily, I had scooted back into the bushes in time. I waited several more minutes as Luffy foolishly gave away his knowledge of their plotting. Then there was a thump. _Hypnosis, what a troublesome ability – argh, I sound like a certain shadow-user, and not the big leek one._ I listened hard for their retreating steps. Once I judged the pair were far enough away, I ran down the slope and hauled Luffy back to the village.

* * *

"Hey, it's- What the hell happened to him?" asked Zoro.

"He got hypnotized and fell off a cliff. I thought for sure he died, but I had to check anyways. He was snoring, so I guess he isn't dead somehow. Which I'll freak out about later, but I don't have much time to talk!" I quickly summarized the conversation the two of heard.

"So, that butler who kept looking down on you for being the son of a pirate is a pirate himself?" repeated Nami. I nodded my head.

"Hey, Captain, that weirdo you talked about, we just saw him a while ago! He tried hypnotizing us, too, but ended up putting himself to sleep!"

"Yeah, he's the backward-walking hypno-weirdo!" _More like an insult to Hypnos._

I nodded my head. The three promptly started to yell and run in place. I gave them two minutes before yelling for their attention.

"Listen up Usopp Pirates! Our village is in major trouble! We know the when and why: at dawn and for Kaya's money; but we don't know where or how many. And most importantly of all, we don't have proof."

"But, Captain, you saw it all!"

"But I'm still known as the village's liar despite my work around the island. It's the word of a 17-year-old prankster against a man with a solid 3-year reputation under the same person he plans to have assassinated. If I go raising the alarms like I did as a kid, he'll know for sure I know. I doubt he'll care, but we need every advantage we got against a pirate like him!"

"Err, captain, I get your reasoning, but what do you mean by we don't know where? Aren't they going to attack from the slope?" asks Piiman.

I shake my head. "We have two slopes, Piiman. We happened to catch them at that one, but who's to say they won't come from the other direction? Between the four of us, we don't have enough people to defend both of them."

I kept debating back and forth with my group until Nami finally walked over to knock Luffy awake.

I told them they should escape on their ship while I went to warn Kaya. I knew this was a stupid idea, but I couldn't simply let her find out for the first time with the injured Merry.

I got attacked by the guards, slapped by Kaya, then shot by my upset boss. Those year in the forest honed my reflexes, so I just got off with a graze. I ran with my infamous speed. Apparently, the downed guards called for backup as a horde of angry villagers came up to see what was happening.

I ran.

* * *

I met back up with my crew, Luffy and the others. I told the boys under no condition could they endanger themselves, but they can help by making a big ruckus in the village come dawn. Years swinging from the dependable young man to diehard prankster had led to the making of many such plans and tricks for such a scenario. The boys would set off all the animals in the village and cause them to run toward the mountains. This will hopefully lead to a village-wide hunt for them. In the worst case, the pirate won't have an easy time finding any of them, especially in the woods where the wild animals would keep the villagers armed in some fashion.

When I went back to talking with the three visitors, I couldn't help but voice my worries, but I also didn't give up the hope I could do something about this. This may not have been my original birthplace, but it was the village I grew up in; my home.

Nami went to move their ship to a lesser known inlet to a small river while I talked it out with the guys. I told them I had a feeling they may hit the northern slope since it was actually a bit closer to the village and Kaya's mansion (actually, both sat about between the two, but I wasn't about to tell them that).

As a precaution, I would set up some traps on that side, but all of us would hide out on the northern slope for Captain Kuro's old crew.

I finished my booby traps and waited. Dawn came. And, so did the Black Cats' pirate ship.


	3. Chapter 3

Results of a Sniper's Effort

* * *

A/N: Wow, didn't know I would get even this much attention for this story. Thanks for your reviews, Hitler's Moustache, finkarhu, Asuka1920, and BlackDove WhiteDove.

Hitler's Moustache makes a good point about updating, so I think I will only update once I have a certain number chapters lined up in the meantime. Right now, I have the East Blue Saga finished.

By the way, does anyone have an opinion about who I should invite to the crew? I already have one or two characters in mind so far. Well, anyone besides Gin since I do follow closely to canon for the East Blue Saga at least, and Usopp is not about to go and antagonize someone with the reputation of demon. Plus, there's the whole Nami-issue. I'm otherwise pretty open about crewmates in addition to the canon ones, of course.

* * *

"Everyone, let's go!"

Pirates with silly cat ears charged up the slope, setting off dozens of explosives and firecrackers. I pulled on a rope connected to a rock holding back a set of logs stack out of sight of the pirates.

Curses ring out.

"What the hell is going on? Did that kid somehow survive long enough to warn someone?!" hissed Jango.

" **Hissatsu: Lead Star Shower**!"

Pachinko balls rained down on the pirates, every one of them hitting their marks. Their targets stumbled and fell, the ricochet off their skulls knocking them out instantly. I practiced this particular new move on bird flocks and large animals for years, calculating just how much force I should use compared to the target and distance.

"If you don't want to end up like them, then leave this place!" I loudly threaten them. Angry eyes lock on me. I couldn't help the shakes running down my legs, but my hands stay steady. "I am Captain Usopp, and this village is under my protection! Leave or die!"

"Is that kid serious?" "We're pirates, attack!" "Yeah, what he said."

I hold my ground, defiant.

"Char- ack!"

" **Oni Giri.** "

A line of pirates fell with slash wounds, Zoro standing easily among the rest of the pirates.

"Captain! This is the pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro!" screams one pirate.

"Damn, now this is no good," mumbles Jango, on hand tipping down his hat. "He's just one man! If you all attack, he won't be able to defend against everyone!" Before they can take a step, several black things scatter around the swordsman. Caltrops.

"Good thinking, Nami," I compliment her. "…but, how is Zoro supposed to fight now?"

"Oops!"

I shake my head. "Luffy, think you can-"

" **Gomu Gomu no Rocket!** Owowow!"

"…what…was that?" I croak in alarm. Knowing was a whole lot different than seeing it for myself. Human skin really, really shouldn't stretch like that. And that speed was baffling even if I could see it. _If that's how fast he is now… Gear Second must make him seem invisible!_

"Ow- I'm a rubber man-ow! I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit!"

"Luffy, get out of there!" Nami berates him.

"A devil fruit user!" Jango gasps. "Grr, get them while the others are trapped!"

 _Damn it all, Nami!_ I take out my hammer while Nami assembles her bo staff. We watch each other's backs as we fend off the pirates who managed to get past the spikey ground.

 _I guess all those years of preparation was necessary!_ I grimly think as I switch back and forth between whacking a kneecap with my hammer and shooting off another pachinko ball.

It didn't change the fact that it was two ordinary people against a whole lot of pirates. Both of us took hard hits.

"Damn it, enough!"

A sudden rush of energy announces Zoro's blade swipe clearing off the last of the caltrops.

The pirates around us gulp and turn back to two steaming teens behind them.

"You guys, we can't waste any more time here! Dawn has come and gone! Head for the village, or he'll kill us all! You guys damn better understand me and quit messing around with them!" Jango bellows, voice strain with anger and desperation. He must know they were no match for us, but his life would be at stake if they fail here.

Zoro and Luffy didn't give them any more time to think about it. in seconds, they had wiped out the pirates.

"So…strong!" Their power literally crawled off them. Or maybe that was my half-baked haki. "To think such people existed," I wonder aloud.

"Disgraceful! For mere brats to take down my crew…alright, fellas, look he-!"

" **Flame Star!** "

Jango yelps in pain as my flame bullet sears his fingers, melting away the thin steel string.

"Not this time! Take this, my new move: **Laughing Surprise Star**!"

A pink orb bounces right off the hypnotist's face and explodes, spilling an oddly colored greenish-blue gas.

The pirate captain coughs a few times before glaring up at the sniper. _Wait for it…_

"Br…Bra- _HAHAHAHAHA!"_ Laughter, sweet uncontrollable laughter spills out from the hypnotist.

The story of how I made this concoction reflected its name; I was training out in the mountains when I stumbled on a strangely familiar looking patch of mushrooms; turned out they were the same kind of mushroom that caused laughter if eaten. Haha, Merry wasn't too impressed to when I came by nearly laughing my lungs out.

I took the spores and diluted them to create my unique new attack. The Laughing Surprise Star. The best part was that I measured the dilution effect so only someone in the immediate radius in the first several seconds of the gas's release would be affected. I could send out several, spread them to increase the radius, or I could hook them together to increase the potency for tougher customers. Either way, I had an easy way to distract the enemy quickly and to hamper their movements. I do vividly recall from science how laughing meant you couldn't take in air very well. If I was a crueler person, I could pull a Joker (as in Gotham) and have my enemies laugh themselves to death.

But, I preferred not to be related to a complete maniac, thank you very much!

Now, all we had left were-

"Sham, you see this?"

"Disgraceful, just disgraceful. All of you guys got taken down by four wimpy kids?"

 _Oh, Oda, these clowns_. The Nyaban Brothers, Sham and Buchi. A pair of tricksters I very much didn't want to meet at close range.

" _Haha-_ S-ham! _Hahaha…_ Buchi! Take- _hahaha -_ these guys down!" Jango manages to gasp out between fits of laughter.

"Whoa, whoa, Captain, you want the two of us to fight these guys who turned everyone into so much kitty litter?" Sham shies back behind his larger brother. If I didn't know better, their act would be very convincing.

"Nyah! We just guard the ship. What can we do?!"

" _Hahaha-_ Just get- _hahaha_ -them!"

"Captain, you're so cruel but okay! Here we go!" sobs the skinny one.

I drag myself over to Nami and help her up, yelling from over my shoulder, "Zoro, Luffy, we leave these guys to you! Be careful, I think they're trying to make you guys drop your guards!"

 _Now, will Zoro and Luffy actually listen?_ These guys did have rocks for common sense sometimes.

The green-haired cat runs/flails toward the other green-haired man. Zoro looks like he was having an internal debate but at least he had two swords out after I shouted my warning. The attitude about the ship guard changed as he pounces, however Zoro managed to fend off both claws going for his still sheathed blade at his back.

As for Buchi…

He had tried the same thing on Luffy, the rubber man just looking at him funny. I had enough of this charade, and decidedly loaded another of my special ammo.

" **Hissatsu: Splash Surprise Star.** "

The ball explodes water right in Buchi's face just as he tries to round the seemingly defenseless teen. Like a real cat, he didn't seem to like my surprise, rage thrumming.

Luffy frowns the moment the fat cat man let out a wave of killing intent. With him distracted, the rubber man was free to knock him out with a Gomu Gomu Pistol, sending Buchi flying into a cliff face.

I glanced back and see Sham making a fatal mistake; he did manage to get around Zoro and get his last katana: Wado Ichimonji. Kuina's sword.

Then I remember why Sham was such an appropriate name. The guy's clothes hang loosely around his thin torso. Zoro's retaliatory slash only cut the cloth, not the waist. The cat leaps onto Zoro, and considering his partner was out of commission, goes for the kill.

My grip tightens around my slingshot, but I didn't need to worry. Zoro twists his body around, swords nicking a line across the agile man's oh so proudly thin torso.

"Bastard," the Black Cat hisses. Sham attacks, claws striking over and over again. Enraged by his brother's defeat, his anger drives his scratches at a rate close to both of them attacking at once I would guess. Maybe more since Zoro's two swords could barely keep up. _Sham must be going all out. It would figure he might be able to adopt something of his former captain's skill._ I was tempted to fire something at him, but chances were that Zoro would do something stupidly noble. Like block my shot at the last second.

"He needs his other sword," Nami states, eyes decisive. She leaps over the cliff and I follow closely after her.

Despite the lingering fits of laughter, Jango goes to strike the navigator with his chakram, but I manage to force her down in time, taking the slash with my own body. My breath hisses out as the blade cuts a stinging line across my back. I push Nami out from under me, the woman staring at me in surprise. She still clutched Zoro's meito.

"Go!" I urge her. "Get him his ka-"

"I-I-I can explain!" Words die on my lips. I turn around and saw someone I rather not be here; Captain Kuro.

"Hmm, is that so, Jango? Dawn has long since passed, so I came down here myself to see what caused this delay. I come here to see an unpleasant sight: everyone but you and Sham out of commission. Care to explain all of this?"

Sham shudder and tries to answer him. "Y-you see, Captain-"

"And how many times need I explain this? I am no longer a pirate nor your captain," coldly denies Kuro.

All around, the injured pirates shiver and tremble in fear. With Buchi knocked out for the future, Sham didn't look nearly as willing to attack his old captain.

"So…WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?!"

I rise on unsteady feet and spoke, "What happened here, _Kuro,_ was that my friends and I ruined your plans. Even if they did attack the village, by now everyone should be gone. Didn't you hear? All the domestic animals, from pets and horses, to livestock suddenly took a stroll into the mountains this morning." I shake my head in false sympathy. "A shame, since no one in their right mind would go out there without some sort of weapon," I taunt him.

"Usopp-kun, it seemed you and your friends have proven most annoying. Jango, I am gravely disappointed in you and your men; to think, the Black Cat Pirates have been reduced to being beaten by a handful of brats," sneers the four-eyed man. Jango tried to speak, but his superior cut him off. "I don't want to hear your excuses! Perhaps I've gotten soft. I'll give you five minutes before I kill all of you myself!"

Jango wastes no time. He turns around and hooks a wire along one of his weapons. The pirates' eyes go beastly white. Another roar signals a waiting disaster taking place. Luffy, like always, was really vulnerable to mind games and mind tricks. The teen goes on a rampage worse than those guys. I load another Surprise Splash Star just as he heads for their ship. At the same time, Nami throws the meito back to Zoro.

 _Bull's eye._ The cold water did its trick; Luffy sputtered awake moments before he did something that would pin him under the boat's prow.

Blood splatters as Zoro finishes off the cat with Tora Gari. The ship guard collapses.

"Sh-sham!"

 _Why is everyone but me a monster practically?!_ I swivel around and fire a Flame Star right in the fat cat's face. The man reels back in pain. Not stopping, I turn around and nail Jango with a pachinko ball.

"Gak! You damn brat!" The man's silly heart-shaped sunglasses glares viciously down on me. All the confidence I have drained away. He was way too close for comfort.

"Three minutes!"

"Ca-captain! Hypnotize me! I need to avenge Sham!" cries out the man who looked like one big bruise after slamming front-first into a cliff face.

"Fine, but take care of this trash first!"

I quiver in my boots as Jango thrusts his pendulum chakram over in Buchi's direction. Jango glances once in my direction. I got the message: I jump him, he would slice me a sight more than the cut already bleeding out on my back.

A demonic roar echoes behind me. Before Buchi could charge, Zoro was there, fending off the razor-sharp cat claws. As for Jango…

Luffy looked like he would intervene, but we shook our head at him. Nami brought out here bo staff, and I hefted out my trusty hammer. Two against one. No problem.

…Yes problem. Jango could move fast like his men and wield those chakrams like the professional murdering pirate he was.

Then there was that other thing I forgot about. Kaya who walked toward Kuro with a pistol in hand. The same conversation from the manga and anime played out. Kuro preying on their false relationship, Kaya's kind heart. In some ways, I preferred if Kaya followed the way of a normal doctor and didn't need to stain her hands with blood. On the other hand, Kuro was standing right in front of her, the long blades of his cat claws fastened before any of us noticed. Nami could hold her own, plus Luffy could back her up as needed.

I take a deep breath. And _run._ Kuro did me the courtesy of not moving from his spot as I charge back up the slope and try to wallop him for playing with my best friend's kind heart.

Kuro goes to move out of the way. Or, he thinks he did. Silent Step or not, I wouldn't let the bastard escape his real punishment. I dug deep into the nine years of constant practice. Of failures. And success.

" **Flicker!** " I couldn't move nearly as far and as quickly as Kuro. But I came close pretty darn close at short ranges. My trajectory changes minutely, and I slug a fist into the smug bastard's face.

 _He doesn't look vey, hah, happy_ I hysterically think as the man looms over me.

"Usopp-kun-!" seethes the former pirate captain.

An elongated limb cuts the man off mid-sentence. It sends the man flying to the side. On the ground, Jango lies limp. A thump a little way away signals another match ending better than what I remembered.

Good.

Then the vegi trio rush out of the forest.

Not good.

I use Flicker to snatch them up and then toss them back. I stagger mid-step as I came out of it. Using it more than a few times in a row, especially after using the Quick Draw to reload as quickly as I have been doing, still hurts like a bitch. But at least figuring out this technique a couple of years back led to learning a few other skills. Including my last resort that I could pull off if I needed to.

And I really, really didn't want to need to use it. Especially against some washed up pirate like Kuro.

"You guys, I told you to stay out there!"

"No way, Captain, we can't let this guy hurt you or Kaya-sama!"

I growl, "Fine! Usopp Pirate Group, this is a direct order! Take her and flee into the forest until I come back to get you! Kuro's the last one standing, so just let me and my new friends handle it!"

The trio hop to it, grabbing Kaya's arms and rushing her over to the forest.

I stand between them and Kuro.

"My, Usopp-kun. It seems you've been doing more than just fiddling around with those silly pranks and tricks. Exactly how did you manage to not only hit me _again,_ but rescue your little friends before they did something regrettable?"

"How about I tell you when I'm dead," I brashly tell him.

A statement I soon regretted as Kuro took a menacing step toward me. I whimper out of reflex. If he tried to use his speed against me... Suddenly, a familiar red vest blocked my vision.

"Luffy," I breathe in relief.

"Your body deformed just now, didn't it? A devil fruit user," Kuro finally observes. _Yeah, well, how else did you expect a human to survive falling head first down a cliff?_ My mind snarks even as I collapse to my knees, partly out of hysteria, partly out of pure exhaustion.

Kuro sighs, "Five minutes have passed. I suppose since Jango, Buchi, and Sham have all failed me…"

Zoro walks over to my side, not moving a step more toward the cat bastard. Nami watches intently by the shore.

Kuro was fast. He easily dodges most of Luffy's Gomu Gomu techniques.

My body aches worse than the first time I thought punching trees barehanded might be a good strengthening exercise. I still did it until I figured out gloves might be a good idea after coming home with splinters everywhere. I focus on the pain while Kuro did his boring monologue. The gist of it was simple: he failed as a pirate because he couldn't handle the pressure of notoriety. Any pirate who dares to raise a Jolly Roger should know as much. And they call this the man of 100 Plans. _His plan to become a pirate didn't work out so well, did it?_

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Luffy "disarmed" one of his cat claws with a rock before smashing the man himself.

Kuro was a weak pirate who surrounded himself with people he viewed as pawn. Not nakama or even friends.

As the battle continued, I witness the slow evolution of Luffy's skill as he slowly gained on his opponent, attacks meeting attacks.

As a last resort, Kuro used Shakushi. My body may not be able to keep up physically, but with my eyes, sharpened by my practice with Flicker, I can pick him out pretty well.

"Luffy, he's heading for his crew!" Seconds after I said that, blood spills.

Luffy whips his head in my direction. "You can see him?"

I nod and shout, "Back up, now!"

Luffy steps back in time as the trailing edge of his vest got nicked.

"There you are!"

I blush slightly as Luffy firmly called me a better pirate than the former pirate captain.

Luffy catches Kuro with his body at last and deals the final blow.

He stands up proudly and announce, "Monkey D. Luffy! As a pirate, there's no way I'd lose to someone like him who gave up his name and ran from the sea! Your name is your life, and should be lost when your life is lost! All of you…listen up! This is the name that will be remembered one day…as the name of the one who will become the pirate king!"

The Black Cat pirates take their injured crewmates and run for it.

* * *

No one that morning aside from the ones involved knew what took place. The villagers who had ran to fetch their animals eventually returned later that day. And that was for best. The villagers may have a bad impression after yesterday's debacle, but I was happy so long as they were absolutely safe from the Black Cat Pirates.

It was time. I took one last long look at my old house. I had packed everything I needed in a thick (not overstuffed) backpack and a (somewhat) large suitcase. I put them down just outside my door.

In the same field where I took the three kids after I caught them spying on me, I stood before them once more.

"Five years ago, you guys had the stubbornness to follow me into the forest and watch me practice. These years, you learned well under my care, but now it's time. We had some good times, from learning how to defend ourselves should something like this ever happen again, to playing all sorts of pranks on the villagers. But, it's time I finally fulfill the dream I made years ago. 11 years ago, my own father left this sleepy village for the sea. And now, so shall I!" I declare with a wide grin worry of any D.

"…what, Captain?"

I chuckle, "Guys, you always knew this would happen. After seeing those guys fight for our lives, I been inspired to leave this village. As my father before me said, the pirate flag is calling me!"

"Captain!" cries out the three little warriors of the sea.

"Thank you for all the good times we have. I won't go return to the village, or the villages I've been visiting in the past. If you want, feel free to take up the slack and become strong men like me! What are your dreams?" I ask them.

"To own a bar!" "To become a master carpenter!" "To become a writer!"

I kneel down and gestured for them to come closer. "Guys, don't forget your journey to your dreams. Every trial and every success will lead you closer there. Those ambitions are equal to any other man's hopes and dreams! Swear to keep to your chosen paths and follow your hearts!"

I stand back up. Tear trail my closest childhood friends' faces. "From today forth…the Usopp Pirate Group is…DISBANDED!"

* * *

I waited in the shadows of the cliffside. Merry had brought out his pride and joy: The _Going Merry._ A caravel destined to see most of the first half of the Grand Line. _Merry…_ A ship I had worked on for about three years.

A ship I silently swore I would do my best by.

"Hi, Kaya, guys," I greeted them. Zoro raised an eyebrow at me. Oh. _Did I really managed to sneak past the ever alert Zoro?_ Maybe I was getting closer to awakening my haki than I thought, especially considering I was going at it with no real practical guidance or someone to tell me if I was doing something kind of right.

"Usopp-san…are you planning on leaving, too?"

I nodded my head and answered cheerfully, "Yep! Before I lose my nerve, I'm going out to sea! Don't try and change my mind, Kaya-chan!"

Kaya's sad look nearly broke my resolve. So, did her kind words. But that smile pushed me forward.

I smiled at her and said, "Thanks for believing in me, Kaya-chan. You will and always will be my friend. Whatever you decide to go from here, know that I will be silently rooting for you just as you will me."

I turned back to the boat I dragged over here on principle. "Alright, guys, I suppose this might be the last time we see each other?"

"Why?" inquired Luffy with a tilt of his head.

"What in the world are you talking about? Hurry up and get on board," said Zoro.

"Wait, what?"

Luffy blithely stated, "Aren't you already our companion? Right?"

Merry chuckled. "I suppose you'll be in good hands then. Usopp-kun not only has been my apprentice for the _Going Merry_ for some 3 odd years, but he is quite the studious and hardworking young man."

I scratched the back of my head and laughed, "Merry-sensei, I hardly am that bad."

"Oh? Says the young fellow who spent the odd hours either in the forest perfecting his techniques, training, or studying on whatever topic you feel will be useful toward the future out in the world?"

That was accurate. _And convenient._ I now had a good cover if I made any mistakes concerning my foreknowledge.

"Really?" drawled Nami as she looked me up and down.

Merry nodded and added, "I believe Usopp put it best one time: he is a "jack-of-all-trades and master of none". Someone who learns a bit of everything, so he can do something when the situation calls for it. I know many of the villagers will miss you and your help."

"Merry-sensei, I'm sure everyone will be fine without me. Plus, my former apprentices are still here."

The older man with sheep-like hair acknowledged the statement with a promise to keep an eye out for the trio.

I laughed and cried as I hopped aboard, my stuff nearly causing me overbalanced. Luckily, Zoro caught my flailing form and hauled me back on my feet.

"Sheesh, where did that quickness go?"

"On hold until I fully recover," I quipped.

We gather together cheered, "To a new ship and a new crew member! CHEERS!"


	4. Chapter 4

Vast Seas and Great Food

* * *

A/N: Is this…yep! Another update. Couldn't resist the urge. Got another chapter today, and started going crazy on outlining a few more. Probably will wait a bit longer on the next chapter…maybe until I finish outlining the Alabasta Saga?

Here's thanks to my wonder reviewers, FahmiWasHere, BlackDove WhiteDove, Xipholynx, Hitler's Moustache, Gamermary, and Lukasia. And thanks to any and all who read, follow, and vote! Love to hear from my readers, so don't hesitate to leave a review or send me a PM.

* * *

Everyone assembled on deck for the official flag christening of our ship But, for a first attempt…

"Ta-dah! What do you guys think? I spent a lot of time and effort of thinking about a good design!" gleefully stated Luffy.

"Is that what you call art?!" I gaped. Truly, truly horrible, even if I was not that great of an artist in my previous life, at least I could sketch something passable.

Nami painfully considered, "Maybe…it's an example of abstract art?"

Zoro's sentiment was that, "A pirate's mark should strike fear in our enemies. This…I guess I find it a bit terrifying in a way…"

I snorted, "Yeah, terrifyingly terrible! Luffy, hand me that brush!"

I scanned Luffy's embarrassingly sloppy art one last time, aghast. A memory popped into my head.

My first flag…was a replicate of the one the original Usopp drew just for my own amusement at my unamused crewmates' faces.

"YOU COMPLETELY CHANGED THE SYMBOL!" all three exclaimed.

I scratch my head and muttered, "Aw, can't you guys take a joke?", then went and painted a perfect Straw Hat Pirate flag.

"Wow, that's great looking," Nami complimented me.

I smiled and stated, "Yeah, I wasn't considered my island's best artist for nothing. I practiced a lot by pranking my neighbors with various designs strewn over various trees, rocks…buildings. A shame they always got erased or repainted eventually."

* * *

One tiring, paint-splattering experience later saw to the design proudly smiling from the mainmast and foremast.

*Boom!*

Aaand, that was the cannon.

"Luffy, what do you think you're doing?!" questioned Zoro.

"What? I'm testing our cannons. They won't do us any good if they don't work. But, I completely missed that rock island!"

I chuckled, "Stand aside, amateur, and let a marksman handle this. _Why does that sound familiar?_ I paused mid-movement.

"Hey, Luffy? Do you think there might be someone docked there?"

"Huh, why?"

I put a hand to my chin. "I thought I saw something move briefly. Do you mind if we tried firing on the other side of the rock? We don't have to change the distance."

Luffy shrugged and stated, " _Shishishi!_ Alright, no problem."

When the _Going Merry_ rounded the island, we did see another boat docked to the side. We pulled up and…

Someone leaped right onto the _Merry_ and started to swing their blade around, yelling, "Damn pirates think you sneak up on a guy? My partner is really ill, so back off or die!"

His next swing nearly took off a piece of the _Merry's_ railing. _Not on my watch!_ I loaded one of my pachinko balls and aimed for the hands. The swordsman let go of his blade on reflex from the unexpected sting of metal.

The brunet with glasses cradled his affected hand and cursed, "Damn you, pirates!"

"Johnny?" our dear swordsman finally realized.

"Z-zoro? Is that really you, bro?" stuttered Johnny.

"So, it is you. How have you been, and what happened to Yosaku?"

At that the man burst into sobs and cried, "Aniki, it's bad! Yosaku is dying!"

Johnny went back to the island and laid the prone form of his partner across the deck. I took a look at him. _Old wounds opening? Check. Rotting teeth? Double-check._ I shook my head and told the hysteric swordsman, "Take a seat while I go into the kitchen. I'll grab lunch alongside the limonade juice I squeezed this morning."

"How can you eat when my partner could be dying?!"

"Actually, Usopp-kun has a point. The limonade should really help," Nami contributed. "It's a good thing he did go through the trouble of making it, there should be plenty to help your friend."

"Wait, food and drink will save Yosaku?!"

* * *

I decided a meal out on deck would be best and brought out a table we had stashed in the cargo hold. I poured a full glass of limonade juice and warned Luffy and Johnny to not accidentally drown the guy when they started pouring the glass at a sharp angle.

Nami shook her head at the two bounty hunters. "Honestly, don't you recognized signs of scurvy when you see them?"

"What's scurvy?" mumbled Luffy from his mouthful of stir-fry. Nami had told them to stop and get some food, too.

"Scurvy is a sickness due to a lack of nutrition," I explained, "like vitamin C, which is high in citrus fruits like lemons and limes. If you don't eat certain kinds of vegetables and fruits, you can get all sorts of problems, but fresh produce is hard to get on the sea, especially for larger crews. That's why a chef who can calculate exactly how much groceries to get for a voyage is pretty important if you want to stay healthy out here."

"Oh~"

"You don't understand, do you?" I deadpanned.

"It's a mystery illness, _shishishi!_ "

"You're hopeless," Nami summarized. She looked closely at the ill man. Yosaku's skin had a bit more color now. "Looks like he'll be fine a few days. And Usopp-kun's right, a professional sea cook would be useful for this kind of thing. In the past, scurvy was a common ailment among sailors because they didn't have the technology to keep vegetables and fruits preserved for long periods of time…"

"Oh, that makes sense! The last time we ate vegetables and fruits were…a couple of weeks ago?"

"You idiots! You can't go eating like that!" Nami yelled at the only aware bounty hunter.

After I finished dishing out the meal, I went over to the cannon. We had tied the two's boat to our own and had drifted quite a way from the rock island.

"There wasn't anything else living on the rock island, right?" I asked the bounty hunter.

"That's right, Usopp-nii," confirmed Johnny as his friend began to stir.

"Good! Fire!"

There was something about blowing up meaningless stuff that sent a thrill through me. _Nothing like practicing my marksmanship,_ I thought with keen satisfaction as the cannonball made a direct hit with the center of the island.

"Wow! Usopp, you really hit it! And we're even farther away than we were before! Okay, you're the crew's official sniper!" declared Luffy.

I smiled my acknowledgement and went back to cleaning up the cannon while looking over the other ones.

"Hey, Usopp, since we're talking about skills, how'd you do the whole disappearing act?" asks Nami. I rub the back of my neck as I consider my answer.

"I guess you can say it's a result of my years of mountain training. I figured if I was going to become a brave warrior of the seas, I needed to get stronger and faster. Not sure about how well I did on the stronger part, but I did figure out a technique similar to what Kuro did. Basically, if you're fast enough to kick ten times in a second, you can practically vanish with the propulsion it gives you. Granted, you need really quick eyes or else you end up like Kuro; practically a danger to the crew and yourself. My stamina sucks, though, so I can only use it a certain number of times or for only so far before I collapse from exhaustion or leg muscle strain. I don't think kicking will ever be my thing, but I've always known how to make a quick getaway."

"A quick getaway, huh?" contemplates Nami.

I nod and add, "Or for quick movement in general if you micro-size it and add a whole lot of control if you watch my hands closely, you'll notice at times I draw faster than the eye can track. It's a variation based on muscle control more than anything. I call it Quick Draw."

"Oi, don't give the thief any ideas on how to rob people better," Zoro complains.

Luffy grins. "Wow, I wonder if I could do that, _shishishi_?"

"Probably, you're nearly as fast as me when I use Flicker – that's the name of my speed technique since it's more of short-term use – and I can't normally move that fast on my own two feet." Maybe that'll encourage Luffy to learn Soru properly instead of risking his lifespan and health with Gear Second so much. Now that I think about it, the muscle control for my second Soru skill would be good practice to keep Luffy from killing himself by speeding up, well, _everything_ with Gear Second.

"Any interest Zoro?"

"No thanks, I can move pretty quickly on my own."

* * *

Yosaku later came to full consciousness and started to leap around the deck until Nami yelled at him to keep resting, too late. Yosaku spat out some blood and keeled over.

"You know, there lesson in this," I began, leaning against the mainmast.

"Yeah, this is just one of the many dangers of sailing on long voyages while at sea," Nami continued. "If we want to even survive on normal seas, we really need someone who professionally knows how to handle this kind of thing. If those two didn't come across us, Yosaku would have died for sure."

"Someone who can cook better than Usopp would be good," Zoro agreed.

 _Hey…wait a minute…_ "What's wrong with my food?!"

Zoro grunted, "Nothing, it's just that. Food. Simple and nothing that interesting."

I huffed, "Excuse me for valuing simple fare. I didn't exactly live on treasure trove island of spices and ingredients, you know! I do what I can!"

"Okay then it's decided. Our next crewmate should be a sea cook! After we find him, we should find a musician!"

"A musician? How did we go from nutrition to entertainment?" I wondered aloud.

"Don't bother arguing with him. He told me he wanted a musician shortly after I joined," grunted Zoro.

" _Shishishi,_ good food and music! That's the pirate life!"

I snorted, "I suppose that makes sense."

"Aniki! Listen up everyone. Not sure about a musician, but I know where you can find some pretty good cooks," offered Johnny. "How you can get one to come along is another matter, but Yosaku and I are in debt to you guys. We can lead you there, to the restaurant on the seas!"

"Restaurant on the seas?" we echoed.

Johnny grinned. "Yeah, that place serves some of the best food around. It's about 2-3 days away from here, but you should take care because the place lies close to the Grand Line. Lots of dangerous folks come by. Including a certain "Hawk-Eyed" man bro's been looking for a while a now. There's been sightings once before according to the rumor mill."

* * *

I kept an eye out in the crow's nest. Coming into sight was a colorful fish of a ship. The _Baratie_.

"Johnny, Yosaku! Is that the place?"

"Alright! We made it here. Zoro-nii, Luffy-nii, Nami-nii, take a look!"

"Why am I brother?" Nami complained but then looked over and gasped. Everyone gathered to gape at the three-tiered restaurant ship. I made sure to position myself close to the cannon.

If that was the _Baratie_ then…there! A marine ship slowly passed by us.

"Marines!"

"When did they…?"

"It probably wasn't too hard for them to draw up alongside us," I speculated. "We were all too busy staring at the restaurant to notice. And it looks like someone finally noticed us, too."

Lavender hair reminiscent of another government affiliate I really wanted to nail with my _special_ ammunition, Fullbody, a marine lieutenant (though, not for forever) came out of the cabin.

Arrogantly, the man raised his fist and demanded, "I am a lieutenant of marine headquarters known as Ironfist Fullbody. You, unidentified pirate ship, name your captain."

Luffy stood up proudly and clear announced, "I'm Luffy, the captain. We just painted our mark the day before yesterday!"

While he was doing that, I was quietly trying to prep our cannon. I sighed as I heard Johnny and Yosaku bluster and attempt to take down the marine lieutenant. Which failed, epically.

I side-eyed the papers fluttering on the deck. Wanted posters. I caught a glimpse of the poster Nami picked up. My hands trembled as I thought about next island we would land on. Or rather, we would chase our ship to.

The marine went back on his words as he ordered a marine grunt to aim their cannon on them. Luffy leapt up onto the rails. I thought for a second to warn Luffy to take care, but honestly, it might be easier to let Luffy blunder.

And blunder he did. I gaped alongside the others as Luffy's body expanded impossibly. _Ugh, I can't imagine how weird that must feel, to have skin stretch like that and rebound._ Seriously, devil fruit powers were cool, but freaky to a normal person, especially up close and personal. But Luffy had those powers for roughly ten years, so he didn't think anything of how other people would react by now. I lit the fuse just as their cannonball ricochet off into the unfortunate bystander ship.

The percussion of two cannonballs slamming into their intended (and unintended) targets rang.

One was the _Baratie_.

The other was the one I just fired into the marine ship, causing them to slowly sink.

I always wanted to see that guy's smug face sink for myself. Literally and figuratively.

"Okay, guys! We'd…just better go dock and pay for the damages," I proposed with a nervous laugh. Zoro and Nami were shooting "are you crazy?" looks. Since I didn't _hear_ any protests, I went over to direct the ship past the sinking marine vessel.

A group of angry chefs marched onto the _Merry_ and demanded the guy who blasted their restaurant. All fingers pointed to our dimwitted captain who threw us a betrayed look as they hauled him away.

Everyone waited on the ship for a little bit after. I ducked behind a barrel when I caught sight of a bunch of soaked marines pulling up their lifeboat alongside us. Fullbody looked positively steamed.

"YOU! Where is your captain and the person who shot that cannon?!"

Zoro smirked wickedly and answered, "And why should I tell you? I'm a pirate. I have no obligation to answer to your authority. And, what makes you think I'll give up my crew's sniper, much less the captain?"

"Why, you-!"

"Dear, let it go," urged his date who was sopping wet. _Oops, sorry miss._ "Why don't we just go inside and clean up? You can ask if they have a den den mushi for you to call in another ship, or we can take the lifeboat and sail back to the base, okay?"

Fullbody growled low, but actually listened to her. He still ordered his men to keep an eye on us. Then he huffed and puffed as he marched inside the restaurant, the lady trailing behind him.

I peered around my hiding spot and called out to them, "Exactly how do you suppose you can take us in? Your gunpowder must be soaked, and you have only a handful of swordsmen. And against Roronoa Zoro, the best swordsman in East Blue, do you think you can really beat us?"

The men in front of us didn't move away, but they did fidget uneasily. It probably didn't help that Zoro kept grinning at them in that scarily demonic way of his.

Something gray caught my eye. _Gin._ Soaked to the bone, the marines' former prisoner hauled himself up onto the restaurant's lower deck. The sunlight glinted off steel. Looks like the pirate had the forethought to snatch someone's sword.

"Sheesh, I should just cut these guys up."

*Bonk!*

"Don't go looking for trouble, Zoro!" screamed Nami. The swordsman ducked with a pained shout, one large goose bump rising on his head.

"Knock it off, you witch!"

A marine ran outside and began to shout hysterically at his cohorts. They abandoned their post and followed their comrade inside.

Everyone on board was confused.

"Err, Zoro-nii, Nami-nii, what was that about?"

Both shook their head.

I nodded my head and announced, "Looks like this is job for the Great Captain Usopp! Since Luffy is taking so long, I'll go check out what's happening. I'll be back soon!"

"Hold on, you're _voluntarily_ going into that? Who replaced our cowardly sniper?"

I had already leaped onto the deck of the _Baratie,_ choosing to ignore that comment. For now. I ducked inside and watched the scene unfold. The marines from before were down from various cuts (none fatal, thank Kami). Fullbody was down, too, but the shoeprints pointed toward someone other than the brutal battle commander of Don Krieg's fleet. Speaking of him, Gin had slouched into a seat, sword held to Patty.

Patty didn't even bat an eye at the fleeing marines. In a sudden movement, he grabbed Gin's hand with the sword and pried it away. Hands clasped together, he slammed them on the stoic and disarmed pirate.

"Punks without money ain't customers," asserted the sea cook, arms crossed. I winced in sympathy as the pirate's stomach growled. It was still rather admirable he took the abuse so stoically, even as the chef proceeded to literally kick him out of the restaurant.

Fullbody, the coward he was, used the distraction to haul himself out of there, his men unsteadily following after their commander.

Using Flicker, I vanished from my hidden corner and crossed the room silently to Luffy's side. I took a deep breath. I really did need to work on that move, though it didn't feel nearly as hard to do as before. Which was strange, since my lackluster versions of Rokushiki usually progressed at a snail's pace over the years. _Either the force to be identified felt pity for me, or maybe Luffy's presence is influencing it?_ People who interacted with D's did look like they improved pretty quickly under their watch. _Maybe the mysterious initial stands for Development?_ Although, I highly doubted I would ever get to even Kalifa's level.

"Huh, Usopp? When did you get here?"

"Just now. You really need to improve your situational awareness, Luffy. What if we run into someone who can perfect what I and Kuro can do? Anyways, the others are wondering how long we're staying here. There were some marines, but they all rushed in here when Mr. Hungry and Stoic made that ruckus. Looks they fled, though. So? How long?" I asked.

Luffy pouted, "The chef-ossan said I needed to work off my debt for one year."

"One year? I don't know if we have the time and resources for that. Especially with your stomach," I noted. "Hey, that blond guy is taking a dish out onto the deck."

" _Shishishi,_ food? Okay, let's go and follow him!"

* * *

I let myself be tugged along outside. On the deck below, the future chef of the Straw Hat Pirates grinned, simply happy to feed a hungry belly.

"Lucky!" my idiotically loud captain yelled. "You got some food! I guess that's good, huh? You looked like you were going to die if you didn't eat something, too! _Shishishi_! Hey, you're a good cook, right? Join my crew, will ya? You can be a cook on my pirate ship!"

I sighed and clarified, "Yeah, don't mind my captain. He tends to say the first thing that comes to mind."

" _Shishishi!."_

Both of us joined Sanji and Gin on the lower deck. I tried not to wince as the smoke drifted in my direction. I disliked the scent of cigarettes but reminded myself I would have to get used to it really quickly when our future chef was a irredeemable smoker.

Sanji frowned. "Pirate? So, care to explain why you inexplicably fired a cannonball on the restaurant?"

"Fire a cannon? Well, I think Usopp fired one…"

"Hey, hey! While I admit I am the crew's sniper, my aim isn't that bad! I fired on the other ship," I defended myself.

Luffy laughed and stated, "Oh yeah, that's right! Usopp fired a cannonball at the ship of that lousy marine guy from earlier. The other one, though, was an accident of my self-defense!"

"I'm sorry? I don't think I get your meaning…"

"My captain had to switch the target of those marines' cannonball from away of our ship. He didn't think about the trajectory, and it so happened the restaurant was a tad too close to the impromptu battle," I hastily explained before Luffy could confuse the two further.

Sanji didn't seem to care for either explanation and just warned us to stay off the bad side of the head chef. I kind of wanted to know a bit more about Zeff's past since neither the manga nor anime went too deep into it (and, considering we didn't land on the island of weird animals, this was following the manga timeline). What was his old bounty? Did he work out a deal with the marines to leave him be? Or was he like Rayleigh, too dangerous for the local authorities to bother arresting? And…did he ever make it to the halfway point or beyond?

I zoned back into the conversation.

"This place is pretty wild for a restaurant," I remarked.

"And no wonder. Like I said, all these chefs here are not only in awe of the old geezer, but they're all hot-blooded and crude enough to match any pirate. Which is a necessity considering the Red Line is only a few days away from here. Lots of big shots come by here."

"This is a really bustling place then, eh?"

Sanji shrugged. "I suppose, but that's just the daily routine for us. Actually, some customers come solely to watch the pirates and chefs duke it out. But, because of that, all the waiters got scared and ran off."

I nodded my head and sagely stated, "I can understand that. Getting stuck in the middle with crazy pirates on one side and crazier chefs on the other probably is hard on any ordinary person's nerves."

"Ohhhh, that's why the chef guy wanted me to work here…eh, who cares? You should join my crew!"

"Sorry, but I'll have to refuse that offer. I have my own reasons to stick around this place," declined Sanji.

I watched amused as the two kept arguing back and forth as Luffy refused Sanju's refusal.

"Hey, Long Nose! This is your captain, right? Get him to see reason!"

I shook my head. "Sorry, but I think you have me confused with another of our crewmates. And, if Luffy wants you to join and you're a decent guy then I have no problem with it."

"Excuse me? Sorry to interrupt your conversation…"

"What is it?!" both men shouted. I inclined my head in question.

"My name is Gin. I'm a member of the Krieg Pirates. So, you guys say you're are pirates? May I ask you what your objectives are?"

Luffy grinned wide and proudly declared, "I'm going to find One Piece and become the king of the pirates! That's why I need a chef before I head off to the Grand Line!"

Gin looked taken aback.

I shrugged and announced my own goal, "While my dream isn't so grand, I believe in it as much as Luffy! Someday, I'll become a brave warrior of the seas!"

Gin shook his head at us, probably thinking we were idiots and loons. "Well, if you guys are looking for a chef, I suppose you must not have many crewmembers."

"If you include him, that makes five!"

"Hey, why are you including me?! I told you, I refuse!" complained Sanji

"You don't seem like a bad pair of kids, so let me give you some advice. Give up on your dreams to sail the Grand Line," said Gin, voice heavy with repressed memories. "You guys are still young. You don't need to go and recklessly give up your lives so soon. If you think about it, the Grand Line is only a small part of the seas. You can become great pirates in any of the other seas if you decide to travel."

Luffy quirked his head and naively asked, "Oh…hey, does that mean you know something about the Grand Line?"

Gin shuddered, body trembling. "Know? No, I don't know anything…that what makes it so frightening…!"

Sanji remarked, "Strange for a member of one of the most dangerous crews around here to act so scared."

"Not really," I felt compelled to say. "The Grand Line has a reputation as the Pirate's Graveyard. Many crews sail there, but never make it. In fact, our own part of the world rarely has any crews who make it there. Which is odd since the few we do have are such big names or are close to big names."

"Oh, like your dad, Usopp," chimed in Luffy.

I chuckled, "Exactly. They're basically the outliers of outliers who somehow come out of this sea."

Gin looked at us like we were speaking a foreign language. That was understandable, all the innuendos and lack of names would frustrate anyone.

"You sound like you know something, Long Nose," suggested Sanji, cigarette in hand.

I chuckled nervously and corrected him, "Usopp. My name is Usopp, official sniper of the Straw Hats. And, I'm nothing like Gin-san who actually went there. I simply read a lot on the subject. I, mean, my dad did go there himself when I was really young, so reading about the place was as close as I could get to knowing him myself. I kind of remember him, but it has been many years since he left for the Grand Line."

Gin probably thought I was either really naïve, insane, or a combination of the two. Not that I could blame him, I spoke of the Grand Line pretty casually back there. Anyways, the three of us said goodbye to Gin, my smile somewhat forced as I thought about how the next time we would meet would be under less than happy circumstances.

* * *

After telling Luffy I would not be interested in helping him with his debt, I headed back to the ship but not before warning Sanji and the head chef that they may want to reconsider making Luffy pay off the debt as the errand boy. After all, Nami and I had Luffy help us in the kitchen once. And only once because we now had to add new dishes to the list of supplies to get at the next island.

Now it was only a matter of waiting. I told Zoro I could foot the bill so long as he kept his orders reasonable and promised to pay me back what with the copious amounts of alcohol he was guzzling. Nami asked me where I got the money and I explained about how I was my village's jack-of-all-trades so to speak, running mail all over the island, doing handyman odd jobs, and finally getting that apprenticeship with Merry. I reluctantly told the greedy woman I had accumulated about 50,000 beli over the past several years, mostly due to my neighbors' generosity and my own hard work. I tried to ignore the beli signs in her eyes as I dug into my food.

"ACK! IT'S YOU GUYS! What are you doing eating while I'm stuck working?" whined the straw-hatted teen.

"Well, what did you expect? We have no obligation to suffer like you," remarked Zoro.

I shook my head at Luffy, but the rubber-brained idiot ignored it as he rubbed his booger into Zoro's glass.

"He doesn't learn, does he?" I commented to Nami as the green-haired swordsman forced the contaminated glass of water down the captain's throat.

"Honestly, boys," she agreed. Both of us were outright laughing at the sight.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Such a beautiful lady to grace my day! O' what a blessed day this is, and how the seas seem all the more dull next to your splendor~ Oh, forgive this mere mortal, but I am overwhelmed by love at first lovely sight~ If I could but be greeted by such a beauty every day, I would gladly go on the path of a rogue and scoundrel that is the pirate's life! Yet, alas, there still is an obstacle barring such a decision!" gushed the blond chef.

I cringed at the sight. Another bit of real-life trivia; I was not a fan of sappy people. I don't think I even ever had a boyfriend in my old life.

Then Head Chef Zeff butted into Sanji's ode of love and told him to join our crew. With a bit of foresight, all three of us grabbed our plates before the two upset them (along with the table). In some ways, I rather dislike my new gender after Sanji served Nami such a tasty looking dessert. The chef noticed my rather envious stare.

"What are you looking at, Long Nose? If you want one, order it," he stated harshly.

I deadpanned, "Thanks for the recommendation, but I think I value my wallet more than my taste buds. Although this tea you brought out was lovely."

"Great to know, but I don't need compliments from a guy." _If you only knew_ I internally snorted. Although, I'd rather keep that day farther down the line. If ever. "And what kind of guy uses the word lovely?"

 _Okay, that's it!_ I got into Sanji's face and told him exactly what I thought of him. After all, I may not be that brave, but as a former modern-day woman, I had a lot I could say to the chef about his behavior.

" _I_ do! You sappy cliché hypocrite! And what about yourself? What kind of self-respecting man loses his intellect for any dame and goes spouting lovey-dovey odes to their beauty? That kind of crap is superficial, and some would say demeaning. What happens if you met a girl who took immediate defense? Spout more of the same? The way you keep going about it, a lot of women would take you for a chauvinist pig if you can't even hold a normal conversation with them every once in a while!"

Sanji narrows his eyes dangerously. I pivot back on my heel, narrowly dodging the incoming kick heading for my head before rounding my own kick. All that practice and running did pay off (sort of) since I didn't get flat out destroyed like Fullbody. I still end up crashing into Zoro, though, since Sanji's block sent me flying back.

"Usopp! Get off!" I roll off him hastily, and hop back onto my feet, fists curled in defense as the blond didn't look anywhere finish yet.

"Oh, Kami! Sorry, Zoro!" I apologize to the peeved swordsman. I blink as Zoro goes from glaring at me to giving Sanji a deadly look. _Don't tell me…_

"Yo, Curly-Brow! Watch where you fling people!"

"What did you say?! You damn Marimo!"

"What did you call me?!"

Good thing we had Nami. She managed to pull off her charm and get Sanji to cool off (temporarily). Looks like I started the two's rivalry a bit early, if only by one island.

…Hey, I changed something, even if only something pretty minor. Maybe I had a hope of changing other things (please, oh mysterious forces, don't let that come back and jinx me)?

Two days passed. Right on cue, a huge galleon approached the _Baratie_. I shuddered. The manga couldn't do the damage justice. The flag hung ragged, scars littered the wood, and you could smell the scent of decay and blood from here. It was a true testament of unforeseen events and a case of truly terrible luck.

The doors slammed opened. There they were, Gin and his bastard of a captain, Don Krieg. _Let the battle of egos and dreams begin,_ I grimly thought.

And here came our indentured captain, rushing righting into the middle of this dangerous scene.


	5. Chapter 5

Fated Meetings

* * *

A/N: Still amazed how well this story has hit off with only a few chapters out so far. Thanks for the reviews, Son of Whitebeard, Xipholynx, Lukasia, Sulina, and Miniwolfy2.

For Son of Whitebeard, I do find Krieg an interesting guy in the East Blue Saga as the sort of lowdown pirate you would find typical of the Great Pirate Era. Poisons are definitely an interesting and recurrent trend in the One Piece series since Krieg, Sir Crocodile, the poison man of Impel Down himself, and a few other characters of interest use it. Technically, my own character is a poison expert since poisons are pretty much any substance that impedes the normal function of the body with the potential of lethality. _Virus_ is actually one of the words in Latin that means poison. Oh, and we can't forget the tragedy of Flevance while we're on the topic.

I agree, Lukasia, Sanji's reaction should be pretty interesting when he finds out about Usopp's previous gender. I can imagine him just standing dumbstruck as all those times he insulted or purposely/accidentally hurt Usopp until then. Such a conflict that'll be. That particular scene will be fun to write once I get to it.

And talking about writing, I'm seriously considering about some more crewmates to add to the Straw Hat gang. I already have one for sure, but how does everyone feel about animals? Particularly a pair that won't be reporting to a certain crook after our protagonist gets done with them. I'll let their fate be left to you. Pretty sure you know whom I'm talking about so let me be frank: their fates shall be: 1) canon 2) food 3) trapped on Little Garden 4) Join the crew. I'd figure I make the determination after they recruit Dr. Chopper since he can actually negotiate with them through more than notepad and pencil drawings. So, I'll give it a week to hear your responses, be they review, PM, et cetera.

That brings my attention to Sulina's review (this came after the first revision of this author note, hence why it sounds awkwardly placed). Gin might be doable, as well as Hachi. Nojiko…hmm, I never consider her before. But who would take care of Bellemere mikan plantation? As for Gin…hmm. And Hachi would have to be post-time skip if I added him. Let's see what happens.

Hitler's Moustache, I'll be honest and say I'm not sure if my character counts as gender-bent or not. Can't say for sure since I'm not the expert on what counts as a gender-bent character. I basically imagined them as if someone with a personality similar to my own was suddenly displaced into Usopp. Personally, I'm not very girly in general, nor do I care for most feminine pursuits. But…I am also a college student, female, and very firm in my own beliefs. I personally would not respond to Sanji's goofy antics very well, nor his insinuations of my character. Thus, the outburst. Plus, I actually didn't originally plan for that conversation to devolve so, but then I thought about how _I_ thought about Sanji _modus operandi_ for women. And that got written. I thought it might make for an interesting dynamic if Sanji had to deal with a male crewmate who was not only a girl mentally, but also one who called him out on his antics. When the truth comes out, this will make for a very uncomfortable dynamic between the two, I can already see it. In general, my character will probably not care if someone refers to them as a male or female in some way – if you know the truth, that is. Otherwise, they know you're trying to insult them and won't let it slide on principle.

Anyway, since I met with the realization I do want people's opinions on this matter as soon as possible, and the rush of reviews I got scant several hours later, I'll give you the treat of a double update day. Thanks for everyone's support!

* * *

A hush fell in the dining room.

For a moment, I felt a bit of pity for the pirate admiral. He was painfully gaunt and pale, barely able to support his own weight even with Gin's help. _Oops, spoke too soon._ The infamous king of East Blue keeled over.

Then again, this was Krieg, Foul-Play for a good reason. For all we know – heck, he probably was doing it – the captain was in reality in the best shape and was just playing up his injuries and his reduced shares of food.

"DON KRIEG!" shouted Gin. "Please, I'm begging you! Please, save my captain! I'll do anything, but he'll die if he doesn't get anything to eat at this rate!" begged the pirate. Don Krieg had the gall to bow his head, asking for mercy. The others in the dining room weren't so kind or buying it; everyone was yelling for the man's arrest and to not let him have a bit of food. Everyone but one. Sanji strode over and kicked Patty aside. I readied my trusty slingshot.

Just when Don Krieg rose behind Sanji, I fired. Don Krieg reeled back as a pachinko ball bounced right off his forehead.

"Grr-! Who did that?!"

"Eep!" I squeak behind Zoro.

Luckily, Gin must have seen what his captain was about to do. "D-don Krieg? What were you about to do? You weren't going to attack our savior, right? Because you promised-!" Gin's last words were choked off like his air supply as his captain snatched him up into the air.

"Promise? We're pirates, promises mean nothing to people like us! Though, thanks for that great meal, I really feel more like my old self," grumbled the behemoth pirate. "I'll deal with that brat in due time. For now, I like this ship quite a bit. I'll be taking it for my own, if you don't mind, not that I care if you do."

Don Krieg demanded not only the ship but also 100 meals for his ailing crewmates. If I didn't know all of this beforehand, I would be appalled with his gall. As it was, this man made my blood both chill and boil at the same time.

None of the other chefs would let Sanji cook the hundred meals, naturally. I couldn't help but admire Sanji's bravery, his dedication to his morals, his code. Patty tried to blow up Don Krieg, but that gaudy armor of his was too thick. Seriously, the gold paint was way overboard. And diamond knuckles? Maybe he was overcompensating for something by dressing up like a fancy watch with all the glitz.

When the chefs went to run at him, I reload my slingshot with something I hoped would work.

" **Hissatsu: Foam Surprise Star**!" A white ball bounces on the ground in front of them just as Krieg ready his dozens of guns. The impact jars the ball's contents, causing a huge chemical reaction. Puffy white foam expanded out to catch most of the bullets in the dense matter.

Living in this world opened a whole new set of possibilities. Specifically, chemical reactions. I found this great recipe and, with a few modifications, came up a way to produce a cushioning ammo for a quick defense. Of course, the product didn't last very long. Even now, the temporary shield degraded rapidly, lead bullets pinging off the floor.

"Quick thinking, Usopp," gruffly comments Zoro. "Didn't know you had that kind of reaction speed. Or guts."

"You! You're the one who attacked me!"

In a hot second, I go back to cowering behind Zoro. _Hey, the guy had freaking diamonds on his knuckles!_ I had pachinko balls and tricks.

"Don't you have some balls, kid?" sneers the enraged Don Krieg. "Do you think you're damn party tricks is enough against me? The King of East Blue? I'm the strongest! Steel armor stronger than that of anything else! A body of steel tougher than anyone's else! And a rock-hard diamond fist that makes everything crumble in my path! I have crafted my body into the ultimate weapon!"

"Ttch, look, I personally don't care, but don't touch the sniper or we'll see how well your armor of yours last," threatens Zoro, hand on his swords.

"And still they come. LISTEN UP! I am Don Krieg, fleet admiral of 50 ships and 5000 men! No one has every defeated me, and there wasn't a battle I didn't win! If anything, I am the only one worthy of the title "Don"! Unless you want to see how I earned that reputation, shut up and cook some food for my men! Nobody goes against Don Krieg and lives to tell that tale!"

*Thump*

A huge sack of food was deposited in front of the Don.

"Here. Didn't you say your men needed food quickly?"

"Owner Zeff!" the surrounding chefs cry out. "How? How can you simply give him that food? Once they recover, they'll surely takeover the restaurant!"

Owner Zeff snorts, "Maybe. Or maybe not. Depends if any of them still have some fighting spirit to take up arms against us." The old pirate turned to Don Krieg and simply stated, "Am I wrong, defeated warriors of the Grand Line?"

Don Krieg rumbles, "You. You're Red-Leg Zeff, aren't you? I thought you died, but I suppose you didn't." _Oh, that would explain some things._ Dead people didn't raise alarms, and nobody would want to raise an outcry against a retired pirate captain. At least probably not in East Blue. "You were a famous pirate captain and cook of your own crew. One who managed the impossible and sailed on the Grand Line successfully."

"So? What of it? I'm simply a chef now. My past shouldn't matter now after all these years."

That didn't matter to Krieg, did it? He thought the old pirate was all washed up because of his leg injury. He had the arrogance to demand the former captain's log book, disregarding the dreams and promises held within such a thing.

Considering there's a blind swordsman who made admiral rank in the future, I highly doubt Zeff would be so easily defeated by someone like Krieg. _But, he is old. And besides, it's the duty of the elderly to let the new generation take over isn't it?_

Don Krieg didn't care a bit about the sanctity held by a crew's log book. And he was adamant that his lack of knowledge was his fleet's only failing. Then he went and said he would be the one to find One Piece and become the pirate king.

"Hold it!" Luffy contests. "The one who'll become the future pirate king will be me!"

The straw-hatted boy didn't back down or feel fear. In fact, he grinned cheekily and replied as much.

"Well, this looks like things are starting to heat up. Need some backup?" smirks Zoro

I take a deep breath and duck out from behind Zoro. "If you need someone to cover you, I'm your sniper, Captain!"

Luffy laughs, "Naw, I got this. Just sit back and let me handle him."

Don Krieg cackles, "Boy, this is your crew, I take it? A bunch of fools captained by an even bigger one! You're going to pit a scrawny three against me and my one-hundred men?"

No, Luffy corrected him that he had four people to back him up.

And considering a total of five people was able to pull off what 5000 couldn't do…

I kept a sharp eye on Don Krieg as he went to feed his men.

Sanji gave his frightening speech, and I went back to checking my bag of ammo. Then Luffy went asking Gin about his experience in the Grand Line.

The pirate cowered at the very memory of it. "I don't know anything kid, like I told you before! The Grand Line…what I say is the truth. Those seven days are like a blur…I don't know what was real and what was fantasy there…those nightmares I saw still haunt my waking mind…then _he_ appeared from out of nowhere…"

"He?"

"A single man. Yet, he destroyed our fleet like it was nothing. One by one, each of our 50 ships were destroyed one after the other…!"

"What?!" we all gaped.

Gin shook his head in denial, voice trembling as he recalled, "None of understood what was going on as he systematically sunk every last ship. We only escaped because of a storm. I don't know if anyone else from our other ships survived…I still can't believe it really happen! The thought of that man still sends a burning chill through my bones…that man with a piercing hawk-eyed gaze! His glare alone could kill a man…! No! I don't want to think about it anymore!"

The anticipation radiating off Zoro was nearly palpable.

Of course, it died off when the chefs started gossiping about another red-eyed man who came by the ship.

"The Grand Line," I muttered. "A place where only monsters of men can thrive."

"Hey, Usopp! Didn't you say you knew some things about the Grand Line?" questioned Sanji.

"Yeah, why?"

"Then would you know who this "hawk-eyed" man is?"

I gulped. "Well…the most infamous man of that description is the Shichibukai Hawk-Eyes Mihawk. The world's greatest swordsman."

"You have some good information, kid," Owner Zeff stated. "Indeed, that man would have more than enough power to mow down entire armies if he wanted. And he's pretty hard to predict, though not as hard as some. As I said, he probably destroyed your fleet out of boredom or annoyance. If you sail on the Grand Line, many people are quite touchy like that."

"Wow, what a place, the Grand Line, _shishishi!_ " giggled Luffy. "Now, I really can't wait to go there!"

"Since that man is my goal, it looks like fate has tied my own path to the Grand Line. If I want a chance to meet him, I'll have to go there, won't I?" asserted Zoro with a toothy grin.

Sanji was unimpressed. And Zoro didn't care a whit for the chef's attitude.

"You don't have a right to call me an idiot, _Curly-Brow._ I might be rushing to my death, but to those who pursue his title, we have thrown away such attachments to life. In the end, only I can claim whether or not I am idiot," calmly stated Zoro.

Luffy waved his hand and agreed.

I sighed and said, "Well, I wouldn't be a man if I backed down, would I? Count me in, too!"

Zoro still thumped me on the skull, and called me a liar.

I shook my fist at him but turned back to Gin. I walked over and knelt by the very dangerous and currently emotionlessly unstable pirate.

"You know, there's something to be said about quality over quantity. While numbers are good, a great crew can rely on one another when the stakes are high. Without those bonds, I don't think a crew could make it out there. Do you think Don Krieg truly cares about any of you? Would he throw himself in front of you if your life was at stake? The same man who left you for the marines if I heard things right."

"Don't act like you understand the Don's motives" shouted Gin angrily.

I shake my head and continue, tone calm and determined, "Let me tell you something: before I became his crewmate, Luffy already thought of me as his friend not a day after meeting me, saved my village without question, and even stepped between me and a pirate captain who would have casually slaughtered his own former crewmates. Now, which captain seems more like your own?"

Gin didn't look up, but I noted how his hands clenched. My words certainly touched something. Before I could think more of it, I slipped a capsule into his hands, making it look like I was only trying to help him up.

I whispered under my breath, "Here. This the same kind of ammo I used to stop the bullets. The foam is super absorbent and can safely absorb and degrade some non-organic substances even as it disperses. Use it wisely."

I let go of him as I felt a terrifying pulse of energy worse than anything I've felt in this world approached. Here in the East Blue, that man would have no reason to suppress it.

* * *

Outside, the tremulous sound of a galleon being effortlessly slashed exploded.

The flagship of Don Krieg's broken fleet fell apart. In the water, we also caught sight of the two bounty hunters.

Nami had ran off with their ship.

I blustered angrily as expected of me, but inside, my mind was whirring. The next part of our journey before the Grand Line and this crew's hardest fight in this part of the story.

"You guys! You still have your ship, right?"

Johnny and Yosaku looked confusedly at the rubber man. "Yeah, but why Luffy-nii?"

"Zoro, Usopp! Go with them and go after the _Going Merry!_ "

"Hmm, why? If she wants to go, then let her. Nothing good comes from chasing no-good thieves," stated Zoro blankly.

"Zoro! We kind of need a ship if we want to leave this restaurant, much less leave the East Blue!" I reminded him pointedly.

Luffy adamantly refused to give up on Nami and said as much. To him, there was no one else who could be our navigator. You really couldn't argue with Luffy when he got like that.

I paused mid-run and turned to Luffy. "Hey, Luffy? You staying to take care of this blowhard?"

"Yeah, plus I still haven't repaid my debt to this restaurant."

"Well, if the old pirate-guy doesn't accept you beating Krieg for them, you could always pay it off with the guys' armor. Actually, if they do, take the guy's armor anyways. I bet we can convince Nami to come back with real diamonds and expensively forged steel with gold painting," I reasoned. I'm sure Nami would have proposed that herself if she had stuck around to the end of the battle.

"Oh, that's a good idea, thanks Usopp!"

Zoro snorted, "What? Are you picking up bad habits from that witch? And Luffy, take care. The whole situation is starting to get out of hand. You can tell by the way Usopp won't stop shaking."

I had every reason to freak out. _And here comes one._ A lone boat shaped like a coffin sailed through the wreckage. Those red eyes felt like they could stab through my soul and see the person underneath the sniper's skin. He swung Yoru without effort, every movement precise. TV had nothing on the sheer power evoked in the tiniest of movements. Each bullet flew slightly off from their projected paths, to pass around the swordsman.

"I've never seen a blade swung with such grace."

 _When did Zoro get over there?_

"Bro…"

Yosaku peered over his shoulder. "Uh…not to detract from Zoro-nii's awesomeness, but your ship is getting farther away. Should we…?"

"It's fine," I muttered, eyes not moving from the battle beginning before me. "We can always catch up later. Plus, we won't be sailing blind, will we?"

"Eh?"

"Talk later. Keep your eyes forward for something you won't ever see again on this side of the seas."

There was no contesting the difference between a pirate of the East Blue and someone who probably could and did sail the New World by himself.

Zoro's ultimate attack shattered against Mihawk's black blade. Only his meito survived the one-sided bout. But swordsmen were stubborn guys, weren't they? And none would be so honor-less as to strike someone from the back (well, no true swordsman would). One last strike.

Moments before Zoro fell into the water, I made _my_ move. Flicker was good for dodging or sudden redirections and Quick Draw enhanced my ability to reload in a dangerous situation. This however…

" **Skim**."

…could rapidly propel me over water, only requiring a kick here and there to keep up the forward momentum. It was actually something of a mix between Geppo and Soru to keep up horizontal motion over water or to race over a solid surface without actually touching down on either. A really useful technique, but I could only use a few times in a row at my current stamina, like with Flicker. Less so, since this was going to push it. Grabbing Zoro, I propelled both of over to the ship. I nearly didn't make it across the water, Zoro's weight throwing off my kicks.

"Whoa! Usopp-nii, how'd you run over water like that?" exclaimed Johnny.

I shook my head and pulled Zoro aboard the ship, nearly collapsing myself as my legs gave away. "No time for talking! We need to treat his wounds. He's lucky I stopped him from falling right in the sea, 'cause it's going to be difficult to treat him with these wounds without adding saltwater and other sediment on top of that!"

Behind me, Luffy had probably flung himself over to Mihawk, judging by the exclamations.

Mihawk's voice rang out, "I am Dracule Mihawk! Young one, it's too soon for you to die yet. Go forth on your journey. Know thy self! Know thy world! And become strong, Roronoa! The months and years shall pass, but know that I will be waiting for you at the top! Go forth with that burning passion and indomitable conviction and try to surpass my sword! Surpass me, Roronoa!"

Blood stained my hands as I quickly applied the antiseptic. Mihawk really did nearly cut Zoro in two!

I didn't look back up until Mihawk suddenly called out, "And you, young man? The one courageous enough to snatch up their companion before what could have been certain death if I had been any other person?"

 _Wait is he talking to…?_

"Usopp-nii!" hissed Yosaku. "Answer the scary guy! We can finish up things here!"

I couldn't stop my hands from shaking but I unsteadily got up and turned to face the man's sharp gaze once more. "Me?" I chuckled nervously, "I'm Usopp, and I will become a brave warrior of the sea like my father before me! Maybe even better than he was!"

Mihawk studied me intensely. "You remind me of someone. Your father wouldn't happen to be that infamous sharpshooter of Red-Hair's, would he?"

I nodded my head, mouth suddenly dry as the reality of the situation finally hit me. I had garnered the attention of _Hawk-freaking-Eyes Mihawk!_ And brought attention to my own pirate blood. A subject barely raised in original timeline. _Yay, the butterfly strikes again._

"I see."

"L-luffy…"

 _Zoro._ The stubborn guy had his sword raised high.

"If…you c-can hear me, know this! I'm sorry for making both of you worry like this… If I fail in my own ambitions, I will only embarrass you, so I swear! I swear to neve again lose!" declared Zoro through his tears. "Until the day I fight him once more, I will never again lose! This I swear! Do you have anything to say to that, Pirate King?"

" _Shishishi!_ Nope!"

"Zoro, hold still, you're going to hurt yourself worse, then what will we make of your promise then?" I chided him absentmindedly, going back to wrapping his wounds. Johnny took over since I wasn't doing a good job with my hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Hmm. The man who dreams of the crown, and the man who dreams of becoming the greatest swordsman. You two will make a good team. As for the other one…"

I froze as the man's aura spiked, stinging against my barely there-not-there haki. "...Yassop is not a bad role model. In fact, you might be the furthest along on your path. As weak as it is, I can sense the power you're trying to awaken, young sniper. I will look forward to hearing the progress of all three of you."

I gulped and tried to play off my unease with an awkward and fake-as-hell smile.

As sudden as he arrived, Mihawk disappeared again.

"Johnny, Yosaku, man the rudder and sails! Zoro is stable enough, but these waves will capsize us if we stay too much longer!" I yelled at them. I took the straw hat Luffy had dropped when he rebounded off the ship and tossed it back to its owner. "Luffy! Leave Zoro to us! We'll bring back the _Merry_ and our navigator! Meet back with us at the next island!"

"Okay! Then I'll go there and definitely get us our cook, too!"

"Promise?" I smirked.

"Promise, _shishishi!_ "

"Alright, I guess I'm good with your choice. Despite the fact that he's still a pretentious jerk and chauvinist, he's still a good guy and great cook! Once everyone is together again, let's go on to the Grand Line!"

"What did you say?" Sanji screamed from over on the Baratie. Totally ignored his outburst.

"Yeah, let's!"


	6. Chapter 6

Face to Fish

* * *

A/N: I wrote another chapter! So, I thought it might be time for another update.

As always, I'm still bowled over by the response to this story. Here's my thanks to reviews from Lukasia, Xipholynx, treavellergirl, Blackdove Whitedove, Telepath98, Sakura Hatsu, FairyBookworm, Mermaid's Magic, and Sulina!

To answer Lukasia, I'm thinking canon characters only. More OC's would be headache-inducing.

Mermaid's Magic: I thought about what to do with Gin. I think I will reevaluate his importance to the timeline for a later date, but for _now_ , he won't be joining the Straw Hats. I might just involve him in a butterfly effect of events that will bring him back to the Straw Hat crew, but right now he needs time to reassess, well, everything.

I'm probably capping the number of new additions for Paradise at five at most. I'll be honest and say the new additions I've considered aren't much more powerful than Usopp in respect. Or weaker. Make of that as you will.

Also to Lukasia and Xipholynx, yes, the interactions between the two will be awkward in the future since Usopp not only insulted Sanji, he brought up his manly pride and code of chivalry. To make up, they would preferably find some time alone with Sanji to talk it out in private. However, it's pretty hard to find a private moment on a ship with thin walls, loud crewmates, and chaos at every corner.

And yes, Sulina, it does make me grin when I think about how I'm writing the revelation scene. As for the two potential additions…hmm, vulture meat doesn't taste very good usually in nature, but Sanji can make just about anything taste good as long as it's edible.

Finally, thanks for your words of encouragement Treavellergirl, BlackDove WhiteDove, Telepath98, Sakura Hatsu, and FairyBookworm. Sometimes simple and honest comments on your favorite parts are just what I need to keep the creative flow going.

* * *

"Alright, you're stable so long as you don't do something crazy again," I said, clicking my tongue as Zoro kept insisting he was fine now.

We had lost sight the _Merry_ , but Johnny, Yosaku, and I could testify that our navigator took extreme interest in one particular bounty poster. Judging by the direction we saw her sailing off to before losing sight of the ship, our destination was the Conomi Islands, the heart of the territory of the East Blue's most dangerous pirate: Saw-Tooth Arlong with a bounty of 20 million beli.

I went off to the other side of the ship (after impressing on Zoro that he needed to _rest_ if he wanted to do anything). Being a Straw Hat pirate was a roller coaster of adventure, danger, and disasters. Quiet interludes became precious bits of time.

Now that I also had ten minutes to think, I just realize another tearful realization: I idiotically left about 40,000 beli on the _Going Merry_. Excuse me as I proceed to smack my head against the wall behind me.

 _You'll get it back…I hope._ Okay! Time to clear my mind of really depressing thoughts, perhaps. I sat with my legs crossed and tried to meditate. _Breath in, breath out…_ All living things breathed in harmony with all other life forms. I just had to reach out and connect with those other breaths. My Kenbunshoku haki was still not quite awake, more like sleep talking since I could kind of sense people by their emotions. More like an animal instinct or a hyperawareness of people's body language. This was good for now, but I needed to figure out the real thing. Preferably sooner than when we confront actual users. And I had a funny feeling that was only going to happen if I put myself in a life or death matter of the most extreme and stress-inducing nature (oh, universe, please direct your attention somewhere else as I think that).

* * *

Arlong Park loomed just over the horizon.

In a few more hours, we were in sight of Arlong's homage to Sabaody's amusement park and his lost dream.

"Okay, Usopp-nii, Zoro-nii, we've finally arrived," announced Johnny. "But the problem will be sneaking around here without rousing the pirates in these waters. First, we'll go and find where Nami docked it _Going Merry_ and…"

Zoro thumbed Wado Ichimonji's hilt. "And then we'll cut our way in?"

Johnny and I yelled, "No way! Haven't you've been listening to us?!"

Johnny continued, "This is ARLONG PARK! Controlled by fishmen with strength ten times that of a human by the time they're born. We do NOT want to cause a ruckus here!"

"Plus, your wounds hardly had any times to properly heal! At best, they closed up, but one wrong move will rip them open again. Then where will you be? Most certainly not alive," I scolded him.

"So? They're just a bunch of fish, right?"

One set of ropes, yelling, and argument later…

"Okay, I can see the _Merry_!" I told Johnny, stowing my hand telescope back into my ammo bag. "She's over by that dock, but I can't see very far along it."

"Hey! Untie me now! You bastards!"

"Sorry, Zoro, but you need to relax a bit more. If you struggle too much, your wounds will reopen. It would be pretty crappy if you died only days after Mihawk told you to go and explore your potential, right?" I reasoned to the indignant swordsman. Naturally, he didn't listen to a thing I said to him, still cursing the pair of us out.

"Alright, from what I can tell…huh, that dock is strangely placed. Arlong Park is quite a way away, and this place is beyond the outskirts of the nearest village of Cocoyashi," reported Johnny.

"Untie me!"

I narrowed my eyes, lowering my telescope. "Johnny, we might have better luck docking somewhere else. The fishmen might have patrols posted by the docks in order to control trade and travel."

"Good point, Usopp-nii! I'll go and turn the ship around!"

Unfortunately, we couldn't get the ship to turn in time as we drifted too close to the dock and in sight of the group of fishmen posted there. Human and fishman stared blankly at each other for a moment.

"Johnny, prepare to beat a hasty escape," I commanded with a false-calm.

"The hell?! You guys are just going to give up because of a few fish people?!" growled Zoro as the ship sailed _away_ from the fishmen-infested dock.

I knelt by the stubborn swordsman and enunciated slowly, "Zoro. They. Are. FISHMEN! We're only three humans, one of whom is heavily injured! Party tricks and human will power will only go so far in these conditions! I-"

"Hey! Come back here you humans!"

 _Aw, crap!_ They were heading right for us!

I dug out a pocket knife (always handy to carry one, especially a multi-use one) and cut Zoro loose before Johnny and I made a break for it.

… _Zoro will be fine, right?_

"Lookie here, they left their injured comrade to fend for their own!"

"What are you looking at, fish-face?!"

And of course, Zoro chose suicidal fight over fleeing for his life.

A sudden ominous bump made me turn my head back. Zoro had fallen to his knees, arm clutching his chest. _Double crap!_ The idiot must have overextended something. Or worse, reopened his wounds!

"Zoro-nii! To think you would meet such an end! I'll never forget you for your sacrifice!" sobbed Johnny.

I smacked Johnny over the head and told him they would probably take Zoro to their base since he didn't have a chance to do anything yet. Plus, they could always turn the ship around and come after us if we stayed bobbing here like a pair of idiots.

* * *

Gosa Village. I shuddered violently as I considered exactly what kind of strength one needed to flip entire _buildings_ upside down and carve a huge path through the village.

"Man, fishmen are really scary," I gasped.

Johnny agreed as said between clenched teeth, "…yeah, this is the power of someone with at least ten times the strength of an ordinary man from birth. Us humans hardly stand a chance against a handful of fishmen even if we brought an army! This is the kind of thing to expect from a veteran of the Grand Line!"

Johnny suddenly ran off. _Don'tlookbackdon'tlookbackdon't!_ screamed the part of me that remembered every cliché horror movie scene.I looked back anyway, if slowly. One of the fishman from before stared back. I ran like the hounds of hell were chasing me.

Then I ran into the kid from Gosa and Nojiko. A short conversation and then the fishman was coming close! I didn't even get one shot off when the latter knocked me out.

I woke up at her and Nami's childhood home. The first thing I noted was the familiar sharp scent of citrus. A favorite kind of fruit grown back in my old life, I vaguely noted as I slowly got up.

Throughout Nojiko's talk with the small child of Gosa, I couldn't help but feel cold when I saw the darkness and pain shadowing this child's eyes. Even when she reminded him of his last family member still waiting for him, that darkness still lingered. A darkness I noted in both Nami and Nojiko's eyes, even if they did a good job disguising it. I who lost my parent to illness could never understand the loss of someone through extreme and irrational violence.

I told Nojiko about my mission to bring back Nami for my crew and hopefully pulled off surprised when she announced her relationship with Nami as her foster sister.

Somehow, I don't think she bought it altogether, but I couldn't be sure.

I looked appropriately pissed when Nojiko revealed the fishmen captain's intentions to take over all of the East Blue. I kind of doubted it would happen if a certain scary vice admiral caught wind of his home island being invaded like that, but then again, he didn't find out about Red-Hair Shanks's visit until long after the future Yonko had left the East Blue.

* * *

We were near the village center of Cocoyashi when shouting broke out not too far from where Nojiko led me.

I got a up and personal look at Arlong's brutality marking not just people's homes but on their very flesh. Gen, as Nojiko named him, had stitches crisscrossing everywhere courtesy of a certain fishman subordinate. It gave him a scary Frankenstein look, but what drew more of my attention was the huge fishman manhandling him. The glimpsed I got from before didn't do the sight justice. I could appreciate why fishmen made humans uneasy.

Back at home, countless science fiction novels and this one great manga I read commented on why humans distrusted human-like robots so much; as an android approached the appearance of humanity, there was that narrow disparity that set off the human's subconscious; our perceptions couldn't help but narrow on the fine details that were just slightly off. The mesh of the human and inhuman.

Fishmen operated on the other extreme of that curve, but it still applied. I found the alien not-quite human but close features far more prominent and monstrous. Not quite skin covered by fine scales, the scent of ocean and fish oils, muscles no human body had. Compared to that, the obvious fish-like characteristics of fins, gills, and Arlong's saw shark nose didn't really bother me as much.

I watched with a mix of fear and frustration as Arlong haul the older man up into the air. The fishman's bloodlust didn't ring too badly, but it still hit my senses like sandpaper. Painful, scratchy, and bloody in its sharp roughness. The fishman really was going to-!

" **Gunpowder Star!** "

Direct hit in the face. Gen got thrown to the ground. _Sorry_ I silently apologized.

"Who the hell did that?"

"Over there! I see someone standing on the rooftop!"

Arlong snarled, "Who? Who dares? Identify yourself puny human!"

Sweat poured off my face but I stood and with my most obnoxious tone, proclaimed, "I am none other than a courageous young warrior of the seas! Master Marksman and the Great Captain Usopp, the one who helped take down some of the most infamous pirates of East Blue! Tremble before my skills! I once led my own brave crew before swearing my allegiance to the man who will become king! If you consider backing down and leaving this village, my crew won't have to beat every one of you to a miserable pulp!" I half-bluffed/half-told the honest truth.

"Oh, is that so? So, you think some measly human of the East Blue can compare to me? Former captain or not, you're just some wimpy human! Not even the ruler of your own path anymore! I don't care if you were even the subordinate of Whitebeard himself, no mere human scum should ever dare to attack me!" roared Arlong.

I didn't give him a chance to finish his tirade before hopping off house he was about to uproot.

"Crap, crap, crap! I'm a dead man if I let that guy catch me!" I screamed as I scramble over rooftops, fishmen in pursuit. The line of houses ended, so I had no choice but to take to the ground and pray me legs didn't give out on me.

"You dirty rotten human scum!" "You better hope we don't catch you, 'cause Arlong will definitely fillet you!"

"I KNOW THAT, SO WHY DON'T YOU SAVE YOUR BREATHS, YOU CRAZY AMPHIBIANS?!"

 _Shit, I lost my mind, didn't I?_ Well, I didn't have much of one if my recent actions were any indication. The fishmen's pace redoubled as their faces took a decidedly furious cast. I slowly upped my speed, trying not to overdo it so soon. Once I thought we were far enough away from the village, I rounded a particularly dense stand of trees.

"Where do you think you're-!"

" **Hissatus: Smoke Star**!"

The fishmen reeled back, choking as a greenish-gray gas fumed. Tears instantly broke out as the gas stung their eyes, obscuring their vision even worse.

I laughed hysterically, "Did I say Smoke Star? Forgive me, it's actually _Brim_ -Smoke Star!"

Lucky for them the gas was an analogue, not actual hydrogen sulfide gas. It only irritated rather than poison people. Taking advantage of the distraction, I took to the air. Well, kind of.

" **Scaling Step**!"

I couldn't fly outright, but my incredible Geppo-enhanced bounds were pretty awesome in their own right. Like an old-fashion Superman or Superboy character. Except I can kind of bounce off the air. I was proud to say I didn't sprain my ankle this time, or fell over upon landing.

In the clear, I took a minute to catch my breath, massaging my legs. While I didn't badly hurt myself, the combination of using so many of my techniques these past days plus shot nerves took their toll. I couldn't risk another chase until the others arrived. Speaking of others, I was sure Zoro probably escaped by now. Hopefully, I could find him before he did something like get lost in the forest. Then again, the forest here was more like a wood with the lack of any large animals, hilly landscape, or long stretches of dense forests. But…this was Roronoa Zoro, a pirate hunter who couldn't navigate even with Kenbunshoku unless it was to find a worthy challenge with his swords leading the way (that's how I'm going to explain how he can get lost climbing up a building yet heads straight to Kaku's room in the tower).

* * *

I waited. Apparently, I chose the wrong spot to wait as no sooner than I peered up than I heard something crash than I saw the green and brown of a ship just narrowly skimming right over my head, taking out the surrounding vegetation.

 _I…I just almost died, didn't I?_ I gave a shuddering breath, pushing the away the trees trunks that came down on me. Thank Kami that these trees were thin and young, or I could have badly broken something! _Like your skull?! Your mind, perhaps? But, I think that's a lost cause anyways._ I told my inner pessimist to shut it. I picked myself up gingerly, still pretty bruised up from that traumatic experience sure to join the nightmares I had about Kuro finding out my suspicions before I met Luffy and the gang.

I limped forward, following the trail of destruction, stopping multiple times. _Damn, I need to improve quick, or my new moves won't do me any good!_

When I finally reached the others, I was greeted by Zoro and Sanji arguing- wait, what was that?

I foolishly tried to get their attention only for their fight to somehow wander right over me!

"You fucking morons!" I cried as their attacks still connected to my face in spite of my reflexes. _Just proves how much of monsters they are even now,_ I thought sardonically, rubbing my face. Sanji looked only slightly repentant. Probably still miffed about my parting remark.

"Usopp! Wow, Nami did a number on you, didn't she?" Zoro remarked without apologizing to me either.

"Say what?" I thought I had misheard them!

"The redheaded woman said she killed you," deadpanned someone I definitely did not expect. I swiveled around pretty quickly. Gin. No purple flush from poison, thankfully, though he didn't look the best. He may even look worse than Zoro who was nearly cut in half.

"Usopp!" yelled Luffy. "What happened to you?!"

"I-I'll be fine," I stuttered. "But first, why is Gin here and what's this about Nami killing me?"

"Oh! Johnny came running here and said he overheard some fishman say Nami took care of you! Then Nami came here and said she killed you herself, throwing your body into the sea! See, she brought us your bandana as proof," explained Luffy as he gave me my favorite article of clothing.

I didn't notice it before, but I must have lost it to the wind when I was escaping from the fishmen. I guess Nami found it and used it to cover for me while substantiating her own position on Arlong's crew. I grimaced at all the bloodstains, though. If fate was playing games with me again, then the blood would be Nami's.

"Okay, how about Gin here?"

"Ooh, him? After you guys left, we got into a fight with Krieg and his goons. He had this really weird person covered in shiny stuff and put himself on fire. He almost set the whole place on fire, but Gin stopped him in time. Then Gin threatened the Chef Ossan's life and…"

Apparently things ran canon until we hit the MH-5 scene. My words had a lot more impact than I thought as Gin chose to stop the bomb by _running at it and slapping my capsule against it!_ Suicidal moron. Then again, some of his crewmates evidentially would have died since Krieg was bit quicker to draw on his secret weapon this time than in canon, not giving most of them enough time to strap on their gas masks, plus there were quite a few injured ones who haven't recovered enough to make a swim for it (can't say if this was somehow my fault or not). Krieg…he didn't take Gin's altruistic act very well. The dark-eyed man before me refused to fight back as the worst pirate captain in the East Blue proceeded to beat him within an inch of his life. Well, he tried. But, Luffy being Luffy wouldn't stand by and let it happen. Sanji probably would have intervened, too, if he wasn't as badly injured as he was.

After Luffy beat Krieg, Gin couldn't and wouldn't sail with his former pirate captain anymore. He went as far as seeing his fellow pirates and their unconscious captain (now bereft of his prized diamonds as that was as far as Gin was willing to let Luffy steal). But then he was kind of stuck on the _Baratie._ So, Luffy found the pirate mulling over what he was going to do. Naturally, Luffy asked him to join our crew. Because he was a good guy and nothing more than that. And if he didn't want to come along, the straw-hatted teen was fine with Gin traveling with us for a bit until we reached a place where we would part ways.

What do you say to the man who not only saved you from what could have very well permanently crippled you but then offered you a spot on their crew or at least a ride to where you're going? Gin told Luffy he needed time to reevaluate his goals as a pirate a bit more, but he would be more than grateful to accompany us until we reached a suitable island to drop him off. Plus, he kind of owed me. That caused the crew to stare at me. Well, understandable since I lent one of my special ammo I showcased not a few hours before to someone whose captain was trying to kill us, in fact threatened my own safety personally. I shrugged and said I knew what kind of captain he followed from the rumors and stories sea salts told whenever I came by the docks of my home island. Krieg's final deterrent wasn't exactly unknown, and he didn't look like a too forgiving or honorable guy compared to Gin. It paid off, didn't it? Nami, Zoro, and Sanji didn't look like they bought that, but who would beside Luffy? Gin simply stared at me very uncomfortably.

Gin was a scary bastard, that was for sure, but he was an honorable one for a pirate. I basically saved his life as far as he or I knew. It's not like the canon really picked him back up after the events of the _Baratie._ He may have had the sheer guts to survive the poison. Or he could have died. Either way, I had a feeling this won't be the last we see of him. _Alright you damn butterflies, anyone or anything else to throw into the works?_

We didn't get more time to chat, just long enough for me to outline my own crazy experiences with the fishmen pirates before Nojiko showed up and dropped the sympathy bomb on us.

That story made me teary-eyed the first time I read/heard it. But, being in the presence of someone who suffered through the complete rearrangement of their life as they knew it, the practical loss of everyone in their family to the fishmen, it really hit the point home. I internally raged as much as Sanji did externally. But what Nojiko asked of us was impossible to do, even if I already knew what would happen very shortly.

* * *

We went to Cocoyashi Village. I took a seat on the ground and waited for our captain's orders.

Hatless, Luffy strode by and simply ordered, "Let's go."

"Roger," we all stated.


	7. Chapter 7

Fire, Tricks, and Explosions

* * *

A/N: Another day, another chapter~

Thanks to all the lovely reviews from wolfzero7, BlackDove WhiteDove, Sulina, Telepath98, Xipholynx, BlueAutumn12, and treavellergirl!

To Telepath98, are you still interested as being a beta reader? If so, feel free to PM me, and I can start sending you the chapters I've already penned. If you haven't gotten my message yet, I never had a beta reader, so this will be a teaching experience working with another person on this site.

To wolfzero7…hmm, never considered turning Usopp into a girl via Emporio Female Hormones courtesy of the queen of okama. I'm pretty good about keeping my character the same gender as they are, Usopp's been a guy for about nine years, and they're benefits to being male over female. Plus, a total change like that would mean most of the training they've suffered through would be almost for naught since we're talking about a very big difference in skeleto-muscle systems between males and females. Maybe for a gag moment, but nothing permanent if I did consider letting Usopp meet Ivankov.

To BlueAutumn12, you must be psychic *wink, wink*

So, any more thoughts on who I should add to the crew? I just finished a chapter about this very topic, in fact. And does anyone else want the animal duo as food, crew, stranded, or jailed?

* * *

Since Gin was closer to human in terms of healing ability, we sent him on ahead with Johnny and Yosaku after Sanji showed him exactly how well he could fight at the moment. To be honest, Gin was a hell lot more logical than any one of us except for maybe Nami, so he didn't need that much of a demonstration to know what battles to fight.

With a single punch, Luffy demolished the gates.

"Where is he? Where's Arlong!" demanded the teen, eyes hard.

All the fishmen glanced at us like we were insignificant. Certainly not a problem. Until Luffy knocked out the pair who got in his way then punched out their leader.

"How dare you-! Don't ever try and make my navigator cry!" seethed Luffy.

Fishmen may be stronger than normal humans, but no one on our crew was all that normal, especially the three who could tear apart their lower ranks effortlessly.

Hachi glared at us then turned his oddly-shaped mouth into an impromptu trumpet.

I paled and trembled as the pool leading to the sea bubbled ominously.

"Holy sea cow monster!" I yelped in utter terror.

A great surge of water announced the arrival of the little sea king monster Mohmoo, little being the operative word. From a reader's perspective, the sea cow fish looked kind of cute. From ground level, the behemoth looked positively terrifying. His head alone was as big as a freaking house! Bump or not, cutesy and teary-eyed or not, Mohmoo could swallow several people for a snack.

"Usopp, man up. This guy is just a taste of the monsters inhabiting the Grand Line," Zoro told me stoically.

Sanji casually remarked, "Yeah, most sea kings are actually much bigger than this guy."

"That isn't helping!" I yelled at them.

During our little dialogue, Mohmoo had caught sight of two particular stars of his recent nightmares. He ducked his body back into the water and made to leave.

That bit of cowardice didn't last long as Arlong goaded the monster against us. Very unfortunate - for the sea cow. I knew this, but my body didn't listen to my head, seeing as I was trembling like crazy and screaming my head off as the blue and sea green behemoth recklessly charged.

I regained my head shortly after – more bluff than anything – as I turned to the hordes of pirates coming at us. _Wait a moment!_

"Luffy, don't-!" Down went one leg. "-get yourself stuck into the floor…" I finished lamely. Luffy didn't anchor his other foot after I startled him, but he still had a foot trapped into the ground. _Just great, just great. Well, that's why I have Plan B._

Everyone hit the ground when Luffy let himself loose, the sea monster's horns firmly grasped in his hands.

" **Gomu Gomu Pinwheel!** "

 _Never ever again let Luffy get a crazy idea like that in his head!_ I promised myself. It was a hollow one, but meh.

"You bastard! That was way too dangerous for us!"

I joined in with my own yells. "Luffy, you could have crushed us, too! I already nearly died by your first great idea today, I don't want to die for real in the next one!" I shook my head. "Look, you could have easily wiped out all those fishmen _without using the freaking sea cow!_ Now look at yourself! Your leg is dug right into ground! How are you going to get out of there?"

"Easy, I'll just pull it out!" declared Luffy.

"You guys done yelling, chu?"

The three officers. Kuroobi, a master of fishman karate, Hachi, the Rokutoryu user, and Chew, practically the fishman version of a sniper. _Okay, you knew this was inevitable. Don't pull an Usopp now, and you'll get through this fine with the minimum amount of broken bones_ I pep-talked to myself, summoning every bit of courage for my upcoming trial. If I couldn't beat Chew soundly with more than stupid tricks and running him exhausted, I would have to concede that I made no progress in changing Usopp's character up to this point.

Turned out, one leg freed didn't do Luffy any good with the sudden spurt of ink then the huge piece of the roof coming down on him.

I took advantage of Sanji's crazy feat of kicking said piece of concrete into rubble and ran over to Luffy's side. I opened my signature yellow bag and got to work.

"Guys, keep these guys away for me!" I order them, hands going back and forth along a boxlike object and several bottles of mysterious liquids.

"Chu, what are you doing with that, chu?"

I didn't bother looking up, pushing off with my legs to get as far away as possible, adding a touch of Flicker for safety.

"Fire in the hole!" I scream.

*BOOM!*

My homemade bomb did its job and more. Luffy looked a bit blackened but not as badly as the fishman who had stood square over point zero. A huge hole marking the blast zone meant Luffy was clear to fight Arlong now. As for me…

"You're dead, chu," rasps the whiting fishman.

I didn't need him to me that! I made a beeline for the wall, running right over it much to the astonishment of the people nearby.

Wait… _people nearby?! Crap,_ I panic. _I miscalculated!_ Even with Gin added in, they would be no match for Chew.

Chew came barreling through the wall, pausing in his pursuit to take in the crowd of humans with various implements and blunt objects off to the side.

"Chu, what's this? Are you humans trying to rebel against us, chu?"

" **Flame Star**! You bastard fish, how about another taste of my firepower? I'm your opponent, not them!"

And back to running.

Unlike Usopp of the manga or anime, I was way faster and more agile, so the water bullets from this distance missed. _Just barely_ Inner Usopp sobbed hysterically as another water projectile exploded just half an inch away from my feet. I had to keep running, though. I conjured up my mental map of the area. _Okay brain, I need to not give this guy any more of an advantage than he already has. That means don't by any means go_ toward _the rice paddies!_

The forest it was then.

* * *

I led Chew as far as I could manage, trees and shrubbery as hazardous to him as it was to me. At least, until I deemed it safe enough to clamber up into the trees and start running over them like some Tarzan character.

"Human filth! How dare you burn me not once, but twice, chu! I'll get you, chu! And when I do-!"

Let's just say what he said is better left unsaid and pushed to the darkest corner of my brain lest I panic and lose my already precarious footing.

Chew stopped as the human suddenly disappeared from sight.

"Where the hell did that human go, chu? He was just in my sight, chu!"

" **Snipe Kick!** "

A twang. Then several sharp stakes suddenly slam into the fishman.

"Fuck!" Chew snarls as he pulled out the foot-long spike pinning his arm to the tree behind him.

I grin at the sight. Snipe Kick. As fast as I became, my kicks didn't have a tenth of the power for a full Rankyaku. Although, it chilled me to consider what a monster like Sanji could do with a bladed kick. _It would definitely expand his repertoire if he could perform long-range attacks like Zoro_. I shook my head, shelving the implications for later consideration. Anyways, I instead focused my efforts on finessing a scaled down version. A really scaled down version. Let's be honest and call my air blade more like an air needle or something. This was pretty difficult in of itself to concentrate the air blade into a single point, probably taking more technical skill than performing a standard Rankyaku. This way I had a precise thin blade of air at my disposal. Perfect ammo for distractions, aiming for small objects…or setting off booby traps from a safe distance without anyone seeing. I would boast not even the sharp eyes of those assassins could easily catch sight of the near invisible attack.

"You're dead when I find you damn human, chu!"

 _Like the hell I would let you come close enough for that to happen!_

I Flicker into sight and shout, "Oh yeah? Then come and get me!"

"You coward, chu! Hold still you lowly human!"

"Lowly human," I scoff. "And what does that make you? I bet if I burned away that shirt of yours, I would find the mark of the sun, right? That was a promise of freedom your late captain swore! How would he look at all you, basically _enslaving_ humans, treating them as badly as your comrades were treated?!"

"SHUT UP, CHU! You don't know anything about Tiger-nii!" thunders the fishman in total blind rage. _Looks I hit a sore spot,_ I observe clinically, other half of my mind going to full-blown hysterics again.

This _was_ one of Hachi's friends, someone who once had dreams of about the world above. Dreams he probably lost sight of after Fisher Tiger's death. I may be able to able to forgive Hachi after what he does for us in the future, but Chew and Kuroobi and Arlong were nearly irredeemable by this point.

I led Chew to another one of my traps I laid in this part of the forest while waiting for the others (thank the mysterious forces that I scattered them over a fair area considering Luffy's boat crashed through half of them). Chew was so maddened, he didn't even register the odd texture of the ground he was rushing over. The covering gave away to reveal a pit trap. I used another Snipe Kick into a small hollow dug into the side, releasing a small bag of water mixed with itching powder.

"Ow! It burns!" the fishman literally shrieks in agony.

This was my one concession to Usopp's normal line of tricks. I recalled from my biology class about how an aquatic lifestyle usually led to more open system for gas exchange between marine organisms and their environments. Ergo, fish would be a bit more susceptible to substances traveling through liquid media compared to humans. Making irritants and other chemicals so much more accessible to their systems.

My evil smirk falls as Chew launches himself out and heads off into a seemingly random direction. I follow after him from a distance.

*Gurgle-plop-gurgle-gurgle*

Horror. _That was the sound of a-!_

*SPLASH!*

 _\- running stream!_

I heard the sound of something being rapidly sucked up. I desperately climbed to the topmost branches of the trees.

" **WATER CANNON**! **FULL BURST!** "

A huge burst of water several times larger than Chew himself exploded. The rush of water obliterated a whole swathe of the forest. I would say Chew had pushed his limits to produce an even more destructive attack than normal in consideration of my battle conduct.

I gasp from dozens of meters above him. My hands dig into my bag to pull out my slingshot.

"Well, chu, he should have been pretty close by. No way could some human scum escape from that attack, chu. I suppose I'll have to go looking for his corp-"

" **Hissatsu: Special Cocktail Star Combo**!"

Chew felt something cracked against his head and the feel of something wet splattering all over him. The strong scent of extremely concentrated alcohol was the last thing he remembered as a moment later, something hot touched down on him.

As an ode to the brilliant tactic of Usopp's, I recreated it into an improved Molotov cocktail bomb with some moonshine I fermented myself for years and mixed with some dubious chemicals to give the fire a bit more oomph. A single mini-Flame Star was enough to turn Chew into barbequed fish.

The fishman looked pretty well and knocked out, so I let myself fall back down to the earth, turning back toward the village.

And stopping when I hear something very heavy make a solid impact. Afterward, I hear a quiet thump, and I quickly spin around. Chew had somehow summoned the stamina for one last sneak attack and fell not even a foot from choking me.

"You really do have some interesting tricks, Usopp-san," noted my savior dryly as he walked over to pick up his tonfa. "Although, you should check more thoroughly to see if your opponent is down permanently."

"Heh, thank you Gin. Err, what brings you out here? And how did you catch up to us?"

"I didn't need to see you to find you, the fishman advertised his presence loudly enough. And, I may be injured, but I've had to keep going on wounds just as bad as these. I didn't know how well you would handle a fishman considering you're a long-distance type and not very brave – foolish and crazy, perhaps, but not very brave overall."

"I guess we're pretty even then, Chew would have killed me if you haven't come here in time. You have pretty good aim with your tonfa," I remarked.

Gin shrugged. "Not really, I still needed to be pretty close to aim it properly. I'm surprise the fishman didn't catch sight of me, but your latest actions may have blinded him to anyone else's presence."

"Tunnel vision," I conceded. "Err, Gin if you don't mind, please let me find the time to explain my full abilities to the others. The new ammo is fine, but I need to straighten out how to explain what I can do – these powers I use aren't the ordinary sorts, and I'm trying to keep them somewhat of low profile. I'll probably explain them once we reached the Grand Line, but for now, can you wait on interrogating me? I think the whole thing with Nami kind of distracted everyone from the walk on water thing – or maybe they plan to interrogate me later – but let's just say there are things I'm not ready to say until _after_ we hit the Grand Line."

Gin analyzed me critically. "Usopp-san, weren't you the one that told me strong bonds with your crewmates are a necessary thing on the Grand Line? And implicitly that the lack of among my own crew is partly why we failed?"

"Gin…please?"

The baggy-eyed man gave me another unreadable look before nodding. "I suppose it's not any of my business anyway, Usopp-san."

I sighed in relief. Suddenly, my left leg gave away underneath me. _Damn it!_ Looks like I was limping back. At least I had some help as Gin pulled me back up before I could fall over completely.

* * *

"So…you're telling me after I went to and blew up the floor, our captain still ended up stuck? And underwater?!"

So, it turned out shortly after I left, Hachi's next attempt to crush someone accidentally knocked Luffy into the water _under several tons of rubble!_ Gin looked pretty alarmed as well. I figured he knew about Luffy's vulnerability to water since he probably almost drowned. Again.

 _Oh, mighty and damn sneaky mysterious entity who decided to make my life harder than it has to be, why?! I curse you chain of static events!_

So, someone had to swim down there and unbury his body since someone was able to free Luffy's head in time before Kuroobi chased them off.

Yeah, fate and lady luck hated me so much, didn't they?

I ignored the worry looks the surrounding villagers shot me and clambered on top of the wall, Gin following after me despite the resident doctor's warning about straining his injuries.

There they were. Zoro in his current state was going to die if I didn't do something.

I take out a pearl-colored piece of ammo from my bag. The casing on this one was thicker than normal. But knowing Arlong…

" **Diamond Star**!"

Arlong's arm casually swung back.

 _Bingo_. The force shattered the shell, releasing a great big shining blast of light. This mixture gave off a very interesting effect of sparkling and extremely reflective dust. And with the wind blowing like it was…

"Aargh! What in the world is the fuck this stuff?!"

…it would blind the fishman. Arms flailed, trying to bat away the dust.

"You damn human! I know it was you again and your damn tricks! When I get the hold of you-!"

Arlong was cut off as Gin's tonfa joined in the party, slamming right into his must-be-as-hard-as-steel skull.

"Zoro, fight without concern! I'll back you up from here! Same with Gin, I guess, although you should keep your last weapon on you for right now."

"So…were you there for how long? And why is panda-eye up there?"

I shout, "Shut it! It's not like I can fight like you and Sanji! My leg aches like crazy, but I only need to be able to aim and fire to att- Watch out!"

Arlong's wild swing came close to bashing the swordsman's skull in. Sword met nose and stopped.

Shaking his head, Arlong opens his reddened eyes.

"So, I suppose I'll start with you, Roronoa Zoro!"

As I scanned the wrecked courtyard, sudden shifting movement caught my eye. Hachi. Someday, the octopus fishman would become our ally and friend. Today, he was an enemy going after Sanji and Luffy.

I take out two capsules this time.

"Take this! **Foam Surprise Star! Flame Star!** "

The foam temporarily trapped Hachi, but when you added a little bit of heat…

"AARGH!"

…the foam would stabilize into a hard, shell-like trap temporarily. A fishman would be able to free himself in a few minutes, but I only needed that much time. Hachi struggled wildly in the foam, but then his struggles suddenly halted. Eyes rolled back, and he went limp. _And just in time._ The concrete foam broke into pieces seconds afterward.

"Usopp-san!" hissed Gin from his crouched position next to me.

I looked back to Zoro and bit back a curse. Arlong had completely overwhelmed the swordsman despite my slight adjustment of his eyesight. With his wounds, Zoro barely held up against Hachi without succumbing, never mind the giant shark! Gin looked like he would maybe go down there and help, but I took a firm grip on his jacket, daring him to risk his life unnecessarily.

"I'M FREE!"

I let out a relieved sigh, releasing Gin's jacket. We could leave everything to Luffy to finish the entire affair.

Fishman and rubber man traded blows, but in the end, Luffy was determined and pissed off with the arrogant bastard who forced a little girl to work for him with little rest.

* * *

I hardly needed to summarize what happened as Luffy stopped Arlong's Shark on Darts and broke Kiribachi. In that cartography room, I knew he would find the final nail in Arlong's coffin of crimes: a blooded quill and a small isolated room with very little beyond tools.

A room seeped in misery and pain and bottled up grief.

With a might slam of his rubber leg, Luffy sent the entire structure of Arlong Park coming down.

Everyone scattered away from the monolith coming down _right on top of us!_ Gin pulled me down on the other side of the wall since my legs weren't in the best shape at the moment.

In the wreckage was Arlong, nose broken and beaten unconscious.

After nearly a decade of suppression, Arlong Park had fallen. Cheering exploded until some idiots decided to barge in on the party.

* * *

Naturally, none of us took Captain Nezumi's interference very well. Six Straw Hats vs. a bunch of cowardly marines? Odds were definitely not in their favor. I gave Nami a thumbs-up after she bashed the haughty corrupted marine a good one..

"Hey, Usopp what are you doing?" questions Zoro as I pull back Ginga Pachinko.

I titter, "Just a little something for just this kind of situation. **Hissatsu: Paint Surprise Star**!"

The capsule burst open right above the marines, specifically dead center over Nezumi.

"What in the world is this?" we hear the marines shout in rage.

"Paint?" inquires Gin blankly. _Wow, this guy is really dour._ Not even this could get him to smile?

I nod my head and elaborate, " _Waterproof_ paint. I'll tell you, that stuff won't be coming off anytime today, I think."

"Good!" Nami chuckles as she watches the sparkly pink marines scrub at their painted skin and uniforms in vain. Technically, that was only part one of my great vengeance scheme. Maybe I convinced Gin to make a stop along the shore on our way here. Just to secure some things on a certain unwary ship and take some things away. All as stealthily as two injured guys with the benefit of a demi-powered Flicker and some experience with prior infiltration missions can accomplish.

There was something beautiful about a masterpiece of a prank going right as the king of all paint explosions went off a distance from shore. Nami certainly was very happy about her 100+ millions of painfully collected beli being returned to her without having to see Nezumi's ratface. In the end, she decided to give it all to her hometown for reparations, grudgingly returning my own portion.

One fantastic party later, a rash of cat burglaries, and we were off with our navigator officially joining us.

I glanced at the bright smile of my friend. _Don't worry, Gen, Nojiko. If I have any way about it, her smile will be staying right where it is._

Especially after my companions discovered what I arranged to be hiding below decks. Some delicious raw ham melons for Luffy, and the diamonds recovered from the crash site of Sanji's ill-fated ship, courtesy of the former king of East Blue.

The large diamonds dwarfed my palms, and there were eight smaller diamonds, too. According to her, the diamonds would fetch a pretty beli of well…let's just say it made the cost of her village look pretty pitiful. Once polished off and cleaned of blood, we could sell them to at the next city for enough to even satiate Luffy for a good long while (if Sanji could keep him from our larders).

If Nami nearly squeezed me to death when Luffy said I had suggested the idea, I wasn't complaining. Except at the point my face turned blue.

* * *

Author's sidenote: Quick question, how old do you think Gin is? I would tentatively put him as somewhere between Robin's age and Franky, but it might be the sleep deprivation marks.


	8. Chapter 8

Town of Crossroads

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the wait, school, exams, graduation, life in general… and this damn cold to close off things.

Anyways, presenting the prelude before the crew hits the Grand Line! I thought long and hard about your reviews before making the final draft of this. Oh, and the wonderful Telepath98 has volunteered to be my beta reader! So, hopefully, that'll help my writing a lot to have someone to discuss how I'm taking the story. I always appreciate input from everyone, too.

Here's thanks to my reviewers: BlueAutumn12, Guest, BlackDove WhiteDove, Telepath98, Gamermary, Deepspob, Sulina, and Kaiya Azure, ErzherzogKarl, Treavellergirl, and Cutejayjay2011.

Deepspob, nope, I have no intention of making the SI a girl permanently. Might have a gag moment of meeting Ivankov somehow and seeing what's it's like, but only for curiosity's sake.

Sulina, after thinking about it, sure why not? Plus, the scene with Daddy is a good way to start building more depth to my characters and their relationships.

ErzherzogKarl, you may have a point about animal characters. A Skypiean could be an interesting to add. A member of the Foxy Pirates…meh, I'll think about it, but I'm not too fond of the whole arc personally. A Kuja would be difficult to recruit unless Luffy did it of his own volition. I can consider a mermaid, though. I'll need to review these arcs a bit more and discuss with my Beta about it.

Again, thanks to all my supporters!

* * *

Zoro was sleeping the day away. Nami was harassing the news coo about another price increase. Sanji was guarding the mikan trees. Gin had taken post in the crow's nest. And Luffy was trying to eat on of Nami's precious mikans. As for myself, I was sitting far, far away from Luffy, papers and books scattered around me.

"U-sopp! What are you doing?"

"Working on new formulae," I muttered, the nib of my quill tapping a beat as I thought. "I keep a journal on everything like any good scientist. Just in case something goes wrong, I can go back and review the recipe I used. Some of these books are for chemistry while others list plants of interest and various innovations in the history of long-range artillery."

"Oh. So, they're mystery problems?"

"Well, I suppose they are to a lot of people," I conceded. No point in explaining this when Luffy's education was regulated to whatever his village taught up to age 7 then a life roughing it on the hard-knock school of forest survival. Advanced chemistry, physics, and biology would go a sky island over his head.

"Wow, I didn't think you were that smart, Usopp," Nami remarked.

I pinched my expression into a suitably annoyed expression. "What made you think otherwise?"

"You keep provoking the wrong people all the time."

"Nami-swan is absolutely right as always~" Sanji cooed. He turned to me more seriously and denounced, "You're always picking fights with the really dangerous bastards from a distance like a damn idiot, you know."

 _Well, they're not wrong I suppose_ I huffed quietly to myself. _But obviously Sanji is holding a bit of a grudge against me. Well, I'm not changing my opinion of his flirtation skills._ "I'll have you know I am as book smart as much as I am tactical! In fact, I was renowned for my island as one of the smart-!" I cut off mid-white lie as a distinct sheet of paper fluttered down from the sky. I reached out a hand and snatched it out from the air.

"Guys, take a look at what came with the mail," I fretted, waving the bounty poster with a very enthusiastic face staring at us.

Wanted Dead or Alive: Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy. 30 million beli.

"AAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhh!" we all screamed, some more happily than others.

" _Shishishi!_ Look likes we're all wanted men now!" chirped Luffy. "It says 30 million beli!"

*Bonk!* "It's not a laughing matter, Luffy!" Nami scolded him.

Gin had clambered down and looked wide-eyed at the sum. "30 million beli is a monstrous amount for East Blue. Since the going rate is 3 million, your bounty is ten times the average!' he told us. "About twice as much as either Buggy's or Don Krieg's, and half again as much as Arlong's. Three times my own."

"Wait, you have a bounty?"

"Makes sense, he was Krieg's right-hand and battle commander," inputted Sanji. "I, mean, he did nearly kill me back on the _Baratie,_ and neither of us were exactly in top condition. It would be interesting, though, to see who's sttronger."

"Not on the ship, though! I already have to deal with you and Zoro being morons, I don't need a full-on battle on deck!" snapped Nami, face rather pale and her eyes still glued to the wanted poster.

After shuffling a bit into his jacket pockets, Gin drew out a wrinkly bounty poster. Demon Man Gin. 10 million.

I peered more closely at Luffy's poster. Yep, there was me in the background…except it was a more flattering image with my head partially crooked to the side, a goggled eye partially visible. "Hey, would you look at that! I'm on Luffy's wanted poster!"

Sanji sulked, "Yeah, whatever. It's just a partial headshot, nothing to write home about."

I snickered, "At least part of my face is visible. But, I'm sure we'll all get bounties when we inevitable do something to really skive off the World Government. Anyways, you know what this means, right?"

"Don't talk like that, Usopp! Are you trying to jinx us?" Nami shouted at me. She looked back at Luffy's stupidly grinning face and agonized, "Gah, Usopp's right though. Our captain is ridiculously infamous now. With this kind of bounty, we won't be able to stick around East Blue without marines dogging our heels even if we ignored this guy traveling with us."

"Alright men, let's go to the Grand Line!" cheered Luffy.

"Hey, Nami, there's an island ahead," Zoro pointed out.

Nami nodded. "Yes, as I thought. That island is the final stop before the Grand Line. On it is one town in particular we should drop by: Logue Town."

Everyone but Luffy paused, slow grins reaching our faces as we took in the implication. Even Gin perked up a bit.

"What's special about Logue Town?" asked Luffy.

I blurted, "What's special? Luffy, Logue Town is _the_ place for our generation! It's the place where the one age ended, and another began! Logue Town, the birthplace of none other than Pirate King Gold Roger himself! And where the marines ultimately executed him 22 years ago!"

"The Town of the Beginning and the End," agreed Nami.

"Wow…" exclaimed Luffy softly. "Where the king was born…and died."

Nami smiled coyly. "Then, shall we go, Captain?"

* * *

: Somewhere in the Grand Line :

"C…! C…! Capta~in! Capta~in!"

"Ugh, why are you shouting like that?" groaned a red-haired individual as he roused somewhat from his drunken stupor. "Ah, Hawk-Eyes…you're a rare sight. What brings you here? I'm not in the best mind frame right now, but if you want to start something…?" Red-Hair Shanks spoke, tone low as he placed a thumb against the sword sheathed on his right side.

"Hmph! As if I would settle a score with a cripple as you. A man with only one arm is hardly the same as the one with two. No, I have come here for a different matter," disparaged Dracule Mihawk. He brandished a wanted poster. "While I was killing some time, I came across some very interesting pirates. Two in particular caught my eye. The captain reminded me of a story you told me long ago – the one about that little kid from a small village you visited long ago. The other one is also captured here as well. Brave young man with a gifted eye and some interesting skills."

Apparently, Hawk-Eyes had a pair of wanted posters. He threw one to Shanks and the others to…his sniper?

Well, Shanks didn't pay the matter too much mind as he beheld a welcoming sight. "So, you've come at last, Luffy," the Yonko grinned.

Yassop's eyes went wide as his eyes took in the grinning boy with the straw hat briefly before locking onto the young man who happened to be captured in the corner. With that hair and face added with the distinct nose, it couldn't be anyone else…!

"Guys, take a look at this! My boy is with our little Anchor!" sobbed the sniper as he dramatically waved the poster back and forth.

"Wait what?! Usopp?"

"You mean the kid you won't stop talking about?"

"Luffy and Yassop's kid. Think it's coincidence?" rumbled Benn Beckman thoughtfully as he tugged the poster from his crewmate's stunned hands.

The man laughed gleefully as he avowed, "THAT'S MY BOY! HE'S GOING TO GREAT LIKE THAT KID! I GUARANTEE IT, HE'LL HAVE HIS OWN BOUNTY SOON ENOUGH!"

Shanks laughed along with the overenthusiastic father and declared, "In honor of Luffy's first bounty and Yassop's son following in his footsteps, let's break out the grog again! It's time for another party! Yo, Mihawk, don't be shy! Have a drink, too!"

"Hey, Hawk-Eyes! If you met our Anchor, then you must have met Usopp, too! Hurry up and take a seat and tell me all about it! How's he doing? Did he do something to impress you? Do you know how the two of them got on this wanted poster? Hey, why don't I tell you all about my son, too!"

The other pirates laughed uproariously as Hawk-Eyes found himself being bombarded by the overly proud father who was audacious enough to trap the swordsman, regaling him with stories about his son when he was a little kid. Drunkenly so, of course.

* * *

Logue Town was a proper city compared to the villages we've seen so far. Everyone split off for various errands: Zoro for swords, Nami to trade the diamond then shop for clothes, Sanji for food, and Luffy for the execution stand. Gin asked me if he could accompany me for a bit as I headed for equipment and some ammunition and ingredients.

A little way to the nearest ammunition shop, Gin stopped and asked me, "How did you know about the fishman's former captain?"

I froze mid-step. Slowly, I went to face the dour pirate. I contemplated my next move. I could tell him the truth, except he barely accepted the Grand Line's welcoming level of craziness, never mind mixing in alternative universes, fandoms, and reincarnation. I settled on a partial truth.

"I read about it," admitted. "Fisher Tiger's death was a huge deal because he and his men were terrors on the Grand Line, especially after the captain defied the World Government directly by breaking into Mariejois and freeing all the slaves there before forming the Sun Pirates from the fishman slaves and other fishmen. I'd figured since Arlong and several others bore the sun mark, chances were that Chew also had one. The story did two things for me: one it challenged Chew's understanding of the world and threw him off-balanced, and two, it was my honest opinion of his crew's action in light of the mark they still all wore."

Gin snorted, "When did pirates spout philosophy?"

"When did they have honor?" I countered, relaxing. "I'm sure you've heard everyone's dream by now, but what about our own?"

"Dream?" Gin asked, pausing. I nodded my head enthusiastically.

"Well, yeah! Everyone on the ship so far has their own ambitions. Luffy wants to be the next pirate king; Zoro wants to beat Mihawk and become the greatest swordsman of the world; Nami wants to draw a map of the world; Sanji wants to find the All Blue; and I want to become a brave warrior of the seas as good or better than my father. You might be leaving us now, but we will probably keep you in our thoughts as our friend. So? What's your dream?"

"I-I don't know. For the longest of time, I simply dreamed of making Don Krieg the next pirate king. Now though?"

"Stop right there. That's your captain's dream, but don't you have one of your very own? Why did you first set out to be a pirate? What's the drive behind your actions, the choices you make, the kind of pirate you want to be? It may not even be something specific; look at my dream! There's nothing to say when I'll achieve it save meeting face-to-face with my father someday. But even then, I have room to grow. So?"

Gin stared, flabbergast. His face shadowed as he thought. Then, slowly, a small barely perceivable smile was on his face. "Usopp-san, you speak as if you're much older than your 17 years. You've given me something to think about, at least, but I don't have an answer at the moment."

I smiled back, "What I wanted to know is that you're now thinking of one, so I count that as a win for me. Now, back to shopping!"

* * *

I was secretly glad that Gin didn't bring up the promise I made of him the other day. We simply enjoyed each other's company for a bit as I perused the shelves. From a shop selling various ammunition and long-range equipment, I found some pretty nice capsules for ammo and more pachinko balls. Gin went to examine some ammo for his flintlock. I asked the shop owner casually as I could about kairoseki-based weapons. He frowned for a moment then got a knowing glint in his eyes. He beckoned me to the back. In a small case, he presented a small toolbox with some really sharp tools, some mysterious bottles a few handbooks. When I opened one up, it detailed the proper application of solvents and heat to melt kairoseki in preparation for weapon coating or shaping.

"Kairoseki isn't something you'll find in these seas, not with the marines snapping up every last delivery, but I like the look in yours eyes. None of my apprentices care to learn the art, so I've packed away this old learning kit in some dusty corners for years. Those hands of yours are a craftsman's hands; think you can put these old things to use, sonny? For a reasonable price, of course. They're old, but they can do the job right. Shops over in the Grand Line should have just what you need."

It cost me about three-quarters of my remaining savings, but the kit was something special, and my instincts told me to take the opportunity. I can practice using the tools on metal first before I try my hand on priceless kairoseki, plus part of the money Nami would get from the jewelers and exchange shops should go to equipment. She of all people knew our crew would need every advantage we could get against devil fruit users short of tricking them into the sea, figuring out their possible weaknesses, or learning Busoshoku haki (which I epically failed at learning on my own).

It still felt painful to see so much money leaving my bag.

After making our purchases, Gin left to shop for some clothes with a small portion of money Nami allotted him since he did help procure the diamonds from Don Krieg without Luffy doing it (hence why the diamonds were in pretty good shape before and after the crew's crash landing knowing Luffy, he would have chipped them to hell, then our lives would be hell in return).

I browsed a few more shops, but I couldn't find the same pair of goggles Usopp originally found in the manga. I had a bad feeling about this. I thought for sure this universe followed the canon timeline over the anime since we didn't run into unexpected things like an island full of weird animals or anything.

* * *

I was walking through the street when I caught sight of a junk shop. _No…way…!_

I ran inside. _It should be…_ My hands trembled as I picked up a distinct pair of goggles.

"Ooh, are you interested in those young man? You have a good eye, those are the latest version from North Blue!" the seller remarked.

Well, this put a dent in my plans. Either I really messed up the timeline from the start…or the timeline was a mix of canon and non-canon events. If that was so…I repressed the urge to thunk my head against a shelf.

"Hey, kid? Yoohoo. Are you going to buy them?"

I blinked and chuckled awkwardly, "Of course. How much?"

"5000 beli." I wept as I parted with even more of my money. Thank Oda Nami said she would give us a money allowance from the beli she got from selling those diamonds!

"Hey! I wanted those!" a certain pretty little girl pouted. I turned around slowly. Yep, that was none other than Carol, daughter to Daddy Masterson.

"Look, little girl…"

She kicked me! Right there! Then while I was hunched over in utter agony, she took the goggles and ran off with them!"

"Come back here!" I yelled, giving chase. Only to skid to a stop several feet away.

Daddy Masterson, or Daddy the Parent dressed like an old-fashioned cowboy and gave off the aura of someone you should not try and attack.

"Daddy, Daddy! Here's your gift!"

I gulped but plucked up the courage to confront the two.

"Uh…sir…those goggles she gave you…"

"Hmm?"

Oh Oda, he was staring right at me! "I-I-kindofpurchasedthemalreadybutshecameintothestoreandstolethem- please don't take offense!" I babbled.

Daddy narrowed his eyes and looked down at his daughter. "Is this young man speaking the truth, Carol?"

"Um…but I saw them first!" Carol huffed, eyes straying off to the side.

Daddy Masterson sighed and turned back to me. "How much do you want for them?"

"I would kind of…um… like them back, actually," I stuttered.

"No, don't give them to this old man, Daddy!" Carol pleaded.

"Now, Carol, that's rude to call other people old because they're older than you," Daddy Masterson chided. "If you won't change your mind…"

Nami was going to kill me but… "How about a duel over them, then?"

"A duel?" Whispers broke out among the crowd gathering around us as we were speaking. I did not flinch as they muttered I was a fool and idiot to challenge _the_ Daddy the Parent.

"Yeah! I heard you're the best sniper around. I am a pirate under the most wanted man in East Blue right now! My goal is to become a man as good, no _greater,_ than my father, and one day meet him out there! If you're the best East Blue has to offer, then you shouldn't have a problem beating me, right? Your gun against my slingshot, so it's a no-win situation for you."

Daddy Masterson examined me with hooded eyes.

Carol stuck out her tongue at me and said, "My Daddy is the best in the world! He can beat a snot-nosed brat like you easily!"

"Carol! What did I say about imitating the old smoke man?"

"Not to?" Such doe eyes should be labeled criminal.

Daddy Masterson stood up and his eyes nailed me down where I confidently (read: nervously and mentally badgered by common sense) stood, ready to face his answer. After a moment of being scrutinized, Daddy the Parent flipped through a stack of bounty posters. "You said you're the subordinate of some hotshot right? Aha, here he is. In fact, you're even pictured on this as well. 30 million beli, huh? Fine. I accept your challenge. Winner gets the goggles."

* * *

We stood back to back. As expected, the duel not only garnered a crowd of strangers, but also a distinct pair of shoppers.

"Usopp!" Nami hissed. "What the hell do you think you're doing challenging Daddy the Parent?" Gin tilted his head, not saying a thing. I mentally thanked him because I really didn't need anything else on my mind.

Maybe I shouldn't have been as arrogant as to take a disadvantage at the start of it all? The crowd certainly thought so as they murmured there was no way I would win. But this was how I wanted things. In the very near future, I would pit my pachinko balls against lead bullets just like now. Better I find a way to bridge the gap sooner than later.

Twenty paces. One…three…seven…fifteen…eighteen…nineteen…

I took a deep breath and turned faster than humanly possible. I drew my pachinko ball back.

*BAM / Clink! *

I flinched as the bullet grazed my hand, surely leaving a faint burn. But Daddy…he looked down at his gun.

"This is my lost," he stated.

"What, but Daddy-! He missed!"

"He disabled me. His shot was true. He still has his slingshot and more ammo. But I would more than likely be hurt if I tried shooting my gun right now. Look closely."

Lodged solidly into the top of the barrel of his gun was my pachinko ball, slightly melted around the hot metal. Confirmed of my victory, I put down my slingshot.

"…you're not going to take my life, young man? You would accrue quite a bit of infamy as the man who took down the bounty hunter Daddy the Parent," pointed out the defeated man.

I shook my head and explained, "Should you be saying that where she can hear it? I'm young and naïve, but I understand a childhood without a father or mother can be hard. I'm a pirate, and I live with the reality I may one day die. But your daughter is even younger and doesn't understand that. You don't want to leave her alone, right?"

Daddy Masterson looked at me with solemn eyes. "Like father like son, huh? You, girl. You called him Usopp, right? Son of Yassop?"

I nodded my head. Daddy Masterson led the three of us plus his daughter to an alley where he told us his story. He lost only once in his life in a shooting match; against my father Yassop. Yet, my father paid Daddy Masterson mercy on account of his daughter whom he still had waiting for him, someone he should continue to treasure, and to not risk his life so unnecessarily so.

I felt myself smile broadly as Daddy Masterson said he was not disappointed to lose against the son of the only man to beat him in a duel. He said my father would be proud to have a son who had followed so well in his own footsteps. As promised, Daddy Masterson handed me the goggles and told me he would keep up to date on my journey and wished me luck. I was happy to win, but I had the fishy feeling that Daddy Masterson may have gone easy on me. He was someone a marine captain respected for his skill, was he not?

Naturally, Nami did her best to imprint the reason why I should not act like the reckless idiots on our crew and to not have another repeat of a duel-to-the-death:

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU COULD HAVE DIED BEFORE WE EVEN LEFT FOR THE GRAND LINE! THEN YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER SET OUT TO FULFILL YOUR DREAM! AND WHAT DID YOU MEAN WE WOULD BE FINE? WE'RE YOUR FUCKING CREW! WEREN'T YOU ONE OF THE IDIOTS TO INVADE ARLONG PARK, RISK YOUR LIFE AND NEARLY DIED? DON'T THINK I DIDN'T MISS HOW BADLY YOU WERE LIMPING, GIN HAD TO HELP CARRY YOU OUT OF THERE…!"

That went on in the same alternating string of yelling at me for being an idiot, and yelling at me for thinking so little of my own life. I noticed about two minutes in that Gin had disappeared again.

"Do you even regret it?" she asked me, face flushed with lingering anger, but expression carefully blank.

"No. I needed to know. I trained myself for the day I would one day sail the Grand Line like my father. That means eventually I'll have to fight monsters, but how can I if normal men scare me?"

Nami scowled. "And what about me? I lived with monsters, and they still can scare me? You're not alone Usopp!"

I nodded my head in acknowledgement but pointed out, "With Luffy's bounty, you know bounty hunters will come after our crew, probably people less honorable than Daddy the Parent. People who won't have a problem using dirty tricks to get ahead in life. I'm not physically strong, and I'll probably never will be as strong as Zoro, Sanji, or Gin. Hell, your own punches are probably worse than what I can dole out."

"Usopp, you're way stronger than you think. Where's the guy who was yodeling about defeating a big bad fishman?" countered Nami.

"While I did defeat Chew, I did so because I prepared the playing field and used deceit and Chew's anger against him, never coming into close range if I could help it. Even then, I could have died if Gin hadn't knocked him out in time," I miserably reported. I was dissatisfied with my own progress. I knew I wasn't at the level of the Monster Trio and didn't plan on it, but I wanted to be better than what I was. Not someone who had to rely on others or chance to win. "I need to get stronger. Strong enough so I can protect my friends just as you guys protect me. Don't you feel the same way?" _Not to be a burden. Not to be the guy who failed his friends and they-!_

Nami bit her lip. "…yeah, I do. But what can I do against the monsters even worse than Arlong?"

I smiled slightly. "You would be surprised the power a beautiful and intelligent woman can accumulate. I actually have a way to even the playing field for you, but I need to make a few more adjustments. I'll tell you more later."

"Usopp…you don't plan on doing anything crazy, like say fight the marines here, do you?"

"Hell no, I'm not saying I plan on becoming a battle-crazed monster! I'll fight only when there is a need to fight. Otherwise, I'm with you and running for cover," I reassured her.

I watch Nami leave, off to go shop for more clothing since my duel interrupted her hunt for clothes. I hummed as I closed off my sixth sense. The whole situation with Daddy Masterson shook something free from Nami's past. He was a former marine who gave up his career for bounty hunting, not because he lost per se, but because he had a daughter at home he needed to watch over as my father had explained. As a marine, he would have been called out to the seas all the time, unable to see her too often if he had continued the fast track through marine ranks. One only need to look at Luffy's own grandfather to know high-level marines were often called away from their homes for months at a time sometimes, or even an entire year. In many ways, the marine resembled Nami's own foster mother, former marine captain turned mother of two. Someone with a lot of potential but wanted to be there for her children.

Nami was not by all means perfectly fine after her enslavement to Arlong ended. Eight years of loneliness, deception, and forced cohabitation with the very fiends who stole the life of your mother and held your home in vice-grip of repression would break someone with a weaker will, a more brittle heart. But Nami had her villagers' silent support, and her sister to keep her sane. Now, she had us, second family. My death would not have gone over so well in retrospect. I made a mental note to find a way to make up for putting her through that.

* * *

I stopped by a pharmacy and apothecary, then I had one last stop in the market for various produce and foodstuffs I could use for emergency ammo.

"Hey, Usopp!" called out Sanji. "What are you doing here?"

"Buying food, obviously, duh. Probably some strong alcohol for my cocktail bombs, tabasco, peppers, eggs…I just finished my purchases, actually," I explained quite happily.

"So, you're done shopping? Great. Here, help me carry this!" he said with a, dare I say, evil smirk.

"Why am I carrying the heavy end?" I complained. I should have shopped for food first then equipment since I somehow ended up helping Sanji with his huge elephant tuna fish. Pretty certain the action was deliberate and vindictive since I dare say most of the weight was being literally supported by me. Sheesh, Sanji could hold a grudge against a guy. Maybe if I save his life he would forgive me?

"Oh, by the way, Usopp, did you see anything strange going through town? Just now I saw this lion carrying a man in a weird furred costume," casually remarked Sanji, ignoring my complaints.

I shook my head but paused. That description did tickle my memory. I have been reviewing my East Blue saga notes as well as borrowing the log Nami had been penning these past few days. If I remembered…

"Sanji, Nami wrote something about a lion in the logs, actually. Apparently, she met one on the day she first met Luffy. Did he have a reddish mane? 'Cause, Buggy the Clown has a first mate with a pet lion he named Richie. Apparently, he deliberately styles his hair like some sort of furry hat with a get-up to match," I told him with a serious face.

"Buggy the Clown?"

"Yep. Luffy punched his lights out, and Nami stole his torso."

"…what?"

"Devil fruit, Sanji. He's a split or chop man. You can even consider him the captain's counterpart since sharp weapons can't hurt him as opposed to blunt force. However, those chopped body parts of his are pretty easy to target since all it took to finish him off was Nami tying up his cut up limbs."

Sanji had a thoughtful expression as he considered, "So, if I saw such a pair…?"

"Then that means Buggy is probably here, too. Thinks it's a coincidence?"

Sanji snorted, "With the kind of trouble our captain always gets into in the few days I've known him? Doubt it. Okay, Usopp, hop to it! We need to find the others, get my fish to the cold storage, and find our doofus of a captain!" ordered Sanji. _What am I, a beast of burden?_

We were dashing through the street, and I skidded to a halt before I could crash into Nami carrying a large bag of clothes, and Zoro who sported two new katanas.

"Guys! We might have a problem here!" I exclaimed. "Buggy is here!"

"Buggy? You mean the clown guy?"

"The one Luffy knocked his lights out?"

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette and explained, "Yeah, and Usopp just finished telling me about what he read in the logs between our captain and this joker. You don't suppose our idiot of a captain has already picked a fight with him?"

"More like part of a planned execution! And our captain isn't the planning sort!" I yelled, pointing out a harrowing sight: Luffy trapped under an execution block.

As terrifying of a sight, I couldn't help but ask myself why Luffy wasn't strong enough to push off Cabaji, or just free himself. With his rubber powers, I knew he can squeeze out of impossibly small spaces. Unless the doofus didn't think about yanking hard enough to escape that way. _I wouldn't doubt it_ my inner voice snarked. Yeah, I had to agree with it, too.

The four of us split up with Nami and I taking the supplies back while Zoro and Sanji tore through the crowd of marines and pirates.

We didn't have much time before a storm rolled right in like Nami predicted. I looked back briefly. Just in time to gape at the huge fork of lightning plunging down right in the middle of what could only be the town square and the execution stand.

And not long after that, I felt chills crawl unceasingly through my body as a horrifyingly powerful presence made itself known.

 _So, this is what it feels like to be in the same area as the World's Worst Criminal_ I thought hysterically, fear sweat mixing with the rain.

* * *

I was fully prepared to pachinko the snot out of the pair of idiots who should be assaulting our ship. Instead, I see none other than Gin casually sitting on top of a bloodied and bruised heap made of said duo, casually swinging his tonfa. I picked it up from the rubble of Arlong Park; I knew just damn well how heavy the thing was, yet the fact that he can swing the thing so casually was ridiculous.

"Gin! What are you doing here? Usopp said you left," Nami asked him. "Well, whatever. Hurry up and help us prepare to set off. Those marines will be on us soon enough after our three idiots are finished in the square. You two better move it!"

Everyone's shopping secured, we scrambled to get the boat prepared for a hasty shove off. All around us, the storm rages, violent winds whipping through the town.

No doubt our monster trio were about to get a taste of what fighting a Logia was like, but considering I have no intention or idea how to develop Busoshoku, I would rather just leave the rescuing to the true monster visiting the town. I know the Amazonians of Amazon Lily could apply Busoshoku to their arrows, but I haven't the faintest clue where to begin anyways.

It did dawn to me that I maybe should try and get the others to start learning haki, but I was in no way ready for _that_ conversation. That and I barely managed to make as much progress myself. I was no Rayleigh, Mihawk, or Ivankov, and I didn't really have anything to prove I was not telling tales.

The Rokushiki arts were more reasonable for me to teach…well, the bastardized versions I knew. Knowing our beloved trio, they probably can actually used them as they were meant to be used. But maybe I should wait for a bit longer to give a more in-depth explanation of my ability. Right now, we needed to focus on not dying on our way to the Grand Line.

A particularly nasty gale nearly pulled me off my feet. My eyes widened as I see the rope starting to wear against the railing. I run and pull it forward. _If those idiots don't get here soon…!_ Gin had seen my problem himself and ran over to help me with it.

And there were the idiots.

* * *

We set sail, the wind at our back and the seas roaring.

Luffy finally noticed Gin still with us. He cheerfully asked/yelled over the wind, "So, Gin? Are you going to join the crew and come with us on the Grand Line?"

The former battle commander of Don Krieg smiled faintly. "Well, it would be kind of hard to turn down that offer when I'm on your ship and your next stop is the Grand Line. Luffy-san…you, Sanji, and Usopp-san had a hand in saving my life. I have to admit, the Grand Line still scares the shit out of me, but I can't call myself a pirate if I keep running away from it. From now on, I am your man, Captain Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates."

" _Shishishi,_ alright! Now we have six members, one more than we thought!"

Gin had a thoughtful expression now as he murmured, "Six men and women to accomplish what 5000 could not do…then again, each crew member isn't so ordinary, are they?"

In the darkness of the storm-tossed night, we can spot a lone lighthouse signaling the true beginning of our adventure.

"That lighthouse marks the entrance of the Grand Line!" Nami called out with a smile. "Ready to go, everyone?"

I can just barely keep my balance yet everyone else seemed pretty comfortable on the violently rocking deck. Sanji is even sitting right along the railings!

Speaking of Sanji, the chef disappears off for a moment before coming back with a barrel.

"Alright, we've come to the precipice before the Grand Line. I say this calls for a celebration!" He thumps his heel against the top of the barrel. "To find the All Blue!"

"To become the pirate king!"

"To be the greatest swordsman…"

"To draw a map of the world!"

I take a deep breath and slam my heel down. "To become a brave warrior of the seas!"

Gin's face was unreadable. Then with deliberate force, he slammed his heel down by ours and proclaimed with a sharp grin, "To face everything the Grand Line can throw at me and still come out on top!"

"We're off to the Grand Line!"

The barrel crunches to pieces under our final stomp. _Perhaps this is fate. Perhaps it is luck. Either way, I am the one who inherited the old Usopp's dream, and I will make it reality. This I swear on Merry's spirit!_

In my head, I swear I hear cheerful humming.

* * *

Author's side note: How was the cameo to the Red-Hair Pirates? Probably won't be too significant to the plot as a whole, but I couldn't resist writing Yassop's reaction to confirmation of his kid coming to the Grand Line like the Anchor. Good? Bad? Let me hear it.

So…I was getting the vibe that people really do want Gin to be added to the crew. After debating on it mentally...alright, you guys win as this chapter establishes. I'll need to go over my other chapters now to accommodate the change, but I think it'll be worth it. Now…

Thanks to all readers, followers, voters, and reviewers! Your support is a balm on the days my inspiration lags.


	9. Chapter 9

Over the Mountain and Through the Whale

* * *

A/N: Gosh, all these reviews always gives me a smile when I'm writing. Thanks to Guest, BlackDove WhiteDove, Gamermary, nightmaster000, FIREmizuchi, Ligergeo, and Sulina for your wonderous comments!

Special thanks to coldblue2015. Your review was especially appreciated. If you do go through with your fanfiction ideas, I'd loved to read them! I think the best part of writing is if you inspire others to write, too. And don't be shy about running with the Usopp-centric story. You never know how one little element of difference can cause a concept to evolve. Unless you have and evil sibling or frienemy, rough drafts on the computer don't hurt and can be fodder for other stories.

Hope everyone's winter is great. Here's a Christmas Eve present from me to all my readers.

Feel free to follow, vote, and review~

* * *

"Luffy…" I tentatively started.

"Yeah, Usopp?"

"Should you really be hanging off our figurehead in the middle of this storm?!"

The light disappearing was worrying, yes, but the thought of Luffy being lost at sea during a storm also worried/freaked me out.

"I agree with Usopp; Luffy you really should quit playing around and get back here!" Nami yelled at the rubber teen over the crash of the waves.

"No," he whined. "You can't have my special spot!"

"I didn't say I wanted it! But, come inside anyways. I have something to discuss with everyone. If I'm reading the map right, this may be just as the rumors say…!"

Nami slapped down the map onto the table.

"According to this, the entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain."

"A mountain?!"

Nami grimly nodded and explained that she had the same thought, but the map clearly indicated the path following some waterway past the mountain.

"Usopp, didn't you say you read books on the Grand Line? And Gin, you were here before…" pointed out Sanji. We both nodded our heads.

Nami stared straight at the two of us with scary eyes. "Talk."

Gin took her glare with stoic ease and explained, "Reverse Mountain is in fact the entrance. From this map, you probably think there are canals going through the mountain, but if you examine closely, the canals actually are following the elevation of the mountain. In order to reach the Grand Line, we need to in fact climb the mountain using these _upstream_ canals."

I gulped as Nami's impatience (and killing intent) became nearly palpable, and elaborated, "Gin's right. You see, there are powerful currents driving against Reverse Mountain from all four Blues. Anyway, those currents are said to incredibly strong, enough to drive a ship up the side of the mountain following the canals."

"So, there are canals, but they go up? Sound like fun," Sanji remarked.

"Wow! So…it's a magic mountain, right?"

I breathed more easily as the atmosphere eased. Nami contemplated the information I gave her. "Powerful currents you say? If they are as strong as you say…"

I added, "We probably should keep an eye out for the entrance because we won't get many chances to correct our heading when we approach it. Although the canals are large enough to support just about any ship, we need to careful about crashing into the mountain."

"Usopp-san is right, those canals can do terrible damage to a ship if not approached properly. We just barely managed to get all 50 of our ships – most of which were galleons – through Reverse Mountain. However, some of them crashed up against the mark posts of the canal and sustained heavy damage. As some sea salts say, entering the Grand Line in of itself means weathering a life-and-death contest at the start," Gin further explained, face paling as he probably remembered the craziness of his experience.

Nami paled as something occurred to her. "If you consider the fact that the Red Line is actually a series of islands, with Reverse Mountain itself being a winter island, any currents driving against the mountain would turn incredibly cold! So, if we miss it…"

"Our ship rams into the mountain and we all get drag under by the currents flowing down from the cold," I stated shakily. One of my worst nightmares from my other life since I only learned to swim because of Usopp's memories. I really, really owed the finicky [insert divine entity here] for not leaving me completely hanging in this world of almost nothing but oceans and the occasional island.

"Then why don't we avoid the issue altogether? Looks like from this map there's open ocean on either side," Zoro noted, "so let's just sail south."

"No, we're not sailing south!" Luffy asserted.

Nami agreed, "Right! There's a perfectly good reason why ships take the entrance rather than sail around it."

"Because using the real entrance is way cooler! We can't call ourselves men if we chicken out like that!"

*Thunk!* "No, that's not the reason!" Nami scolded her brainless captain.

I tilted my head as something just occurred to me. There wasn't a sound to be heard outside. _Silence…? As in no storm raging outside? AS IN-?!_

"Nami!" I hissed, too afraid to raise my voice. "We sailed _out of the storm!_ " Gin noticeably paled as he probably knew what sailing out of that huge weather system meant.

Zoro peered out a window. "Oh, we did. Huh. Well, it's sure is a beautiful day then."

Nami's eyes widened and her skin paled as the implications just hit her. I had to agree. We were in a pretty screwed position right now.

"Oh no!" she gasped. "We've entered the Calm Belt!"

"Ssshhh!" I warned her. "Guys, we need to head right back into the storm!"

"What, why?"

"Don't argue! Get the oars and get us out of here, quick!" Nami ordered us. Gin had a jumpstart on us as he rolled out the oars and began handing them out.

"But why? The weather's so nice here," argued Zoro.

"Zoro," I said pulling the swordsman to the side. "I know you're the bigshot fighter who's way scarier than anyone on the crew but Luffy, but the enemies here? They're way too big for even monsters like the three of you."

"…say what?"

"Listen up guys! This the Calm Belt, one of two oceans flanking the Grand Line. No one sails in these waters for a pretty good reason. In addition to the lack of wind or much currents, there's one huge problem we can run out here!" Nami explained, eyes darting toward the surrounding seas.

I elucidated, "Yeah, aside from the Shichibukai who rules over these oceans, the true rulers of the sea make this place their-"

The whole ship began to shake.

My tan skin was probably ghost white by now. Because, right under us were as huge crowd of sea kings who had emerged from the sea below us. _Holy Roger!_ Sea kings…anime had nothing on how monstrously gigantic these Godzilla's of the fish world were! Seriously, these guys made Mohmoo look like a guppy compared to most of them! Gin's stoic façade crumpled as he took in the sight along with everyone else. This was probably a nightmarishly familiar sight to the man as he had to have cross the Calm Belt after the freak storm swept away Krieg's flagship.

"Eep," I squeaked, clinging to the ship railings for dear life when they lifted the _Going Merry_ who knows how many meters up. "This is the den of sea kings! Where the largest of them usually dwell unhindered by the Grand Line's crazy weather and crazier denizens."

The monster trio and Gin armed themselves with oars in anticipation of the behemoth under us (hopefully) diving back into the sea. But we were the Straw Hats; nothing, not even our voyage just getting to the Grand Line, would be so easy.

Then we were sent on a roller coast ride I didn't ask for; one sneeze, and the ship went flying off the blue swirly patterned one's nose. After that, we nearly fell into a yellow frog's mouth. I think I passed out while still clinging to the _Merry_ because the next thing I knew, a storm raged once more around us. Everyone was laid out and exhausted and wouldn't be moving for at least a few (or several in my case) minutes.

* * *

When the Red Line and Reverse Mountain came into sight, I pulled out my hand telescope and handed it to Nami going with Sanji and Gin to give them every bit of help I could to man the rudder against the currents. The blond shot me neutral look, but he knew we didn't need his grief against me at this point of our journey. Although, I would have to confront him about this issue sometime in the near future.

Between the three of us, we kept a stern grip on the rudder, trying not to let the ship veer off course. I prayed to the unknown force that we wouldn't be dashed against the mountainside.

Luckily nothing snapped since we guided the ship into the currents well before they got too bad, Nami's correction of our path aided by the scope. Now driven by the currents, the three of us were free to abandon our post and join the others on deck.

The strange designs on the entrance guide marks were really interesting, too. They resembled a dragon's head attached to a fish. _Huh, maybe a homage to the sea kings?_ The ship charged up, past the cloud layer before surging for a brief moment into the air. I gasped from my position clinging onto the mast. For one moment, we could see the four Blues bordering this part of the Grand Line, their currents meeting right here. It was breathtaking. I knew from this moment onward I would not regret ever making the decision to accompany this crazy crew on their adventure into one of the most hazardous places in all of the One Piece world. Even Gin was impressed by the sight despite probably seeing it when he had traveled here with Krieg. There was something so majestic about seeing clouds and seas below you for a brief moment that would take anyone's breath away.

"Alright! So, this is the Grand Line, the greatest sea in the world! Let's go! Full speed ahead, no stopping!" Luffy ordered.

Gin had paled a bit and started shaking on our way down. I walked over to his side, not saying or touching him but lending him my silent support. His eyes slid to me, using me as an anchor as he banished whatever nightmares were lingering in his eyes. It wasn't surprising to see Gin probably had a mild form of PTSD when his first time in the Grand Line and its hectic weather was coupled with meeting Mihawk practically right off the bat. I doubt his captain's betrayal helped, either.

Shortly after he ordered that, a great bellow echoed seemingly from everywhere.

Zoro tilted his head in question. "Hmm? Did you guys hear something strange?"

Gin frowned. "I don't remember hearing anything like that when we came through here."

Dread pooled in my stomach. One of the details Oda revisited way down the road in the manga/anime. And part of the reason the _Going Merry_ got heavily damaged right at the start of the crew's Grand Line adventure.

I took my scope back from Nami and peered through it.

"Giant island whale dead ahead!" I screeched.

"How the hell do you think that giant mountain is a whale?!" Sanji yelled from the mast.

"How does an island whale end up from the West Blue to the other side of the Red Line?" Gin asked, utterly floored by the ridiculous statement.

"What are you guys going on about?! One, there shouldn't be any mountains after we pass the Twin Capes ahead of us, just open ocean. And two, what's in the world is an island whale?!" Nami yelled back at us.

"THAT IS!" I screamed as the giant black mass became visible through the mists.

Luffy proposed we fight it, but not all of us were devil fruit users and muscle monsters. Sanji and Zoro dove for _Merry's_ rudder while I fumbled around in my bag.

"Usopp, what are you doing?" Nami asked, still half in a panic.

"Trying to save our lives!" I shrieked. _Aha!_ I prepared my shot in record time.

" **Foam Surprise Star! Deluxe Edition**!" I screamed at the same time Luffy went and fired the cannon.

The cannon made it first, stopping most of our momentum. My capsule burst open on impact, rapidly expanding into the same foamy, sticky mess as back then on the _Baratie._ But, this was my special super dense formula; I only had enough ingredients to make one without it going way too bulky, but I only needed that one.

The _Merry_ smashed into the gooey substance. We bounced back a bit, I felt like my heart had nearly beat out of my chest, but I counted it as a success since _Merry's_ head didn't snap off and nearly crush Nami. Laboon went back to bellowing after that small impact, but I added a pair of muffs designed for protecting my ears against close detonations. My ears rungs pretty badly even when I got out of the blast zone back at Arlong Park. _Now, we could simply sneak past the whale, and maybe stop on the side of the mountain, so I can do a full inspection, and if we so happen to meet a certain crotchety m-_

My thoughts crashed to a stop as I saw what Luffy was about to do.

"So, you're challenging us to a fight, is that right? Alright then! I accept!"

"LUFFY, NO!" we all screamed at him. Even Gin had loosened up enough to join us in yelling at our rubber-brained captain. Yet, all our screaming was for naught.

Luffy shot a fist right into the whale's eye.

"YOU IDIOT!" we all shouted. I may have lost my head as I joined Zoro in kicking Luffy, contributing to his loss of balance as the whale went and sucked in the ocean around us which naturally included our ship.

* * *

The world turned black for a while. Upon reaching the stomach, a brightly lit scene greeted us. _Wow, this is pretty amazing…although, where is all this light coming from exactly? I don't see any light sources…then again, I don't think I can see the top of the "sky" very well from here anyway._

Everyone but me were under the delusion we were in a dream. Then a giant squid surfaced. Not just a giant squid, a monstrously giant squid! Nami and I promptly ran screaming for our lives. Luckily, a set of three harpoons hooked into the bloodthirsty beast.

"Well, well, it looks like there's another person in this place," Zoro noted.

Sanji scoffed after taking a drag, "Person? We're in the Grand Line, so we'd be lucky it is one after that welcome."

I took a look around and pointed out, voice trembling still, "G-guys? Where did Luffy go?"

"Good question. Better one is who's coming out of that house to greet us," Sanji countered, intent on the person exiting the cheerfully painted house. When he caught sight of the man… "Hey, look, what did I tell you? It's a flower!"

"A flower?"

"Sanji, I do believe that is a human," Gin observed, one of his tonfa slowly rotating.

"Amazing, in a single blow that old guy took out a giant squid!"

"Do you suppose the man did so to help us out, or because it was convenient coincidence he was fishing," proposed Gin dryly.

Crocus stared at us with a ridiculous amount of intensity. Sanji broke first screeching, "Old man, will you say something already?!"

No, instead the old flower gramps took a seat on a lawn chair set up on the mini island, newspaper flapped open. He turned to give Gin an intense stare. The Demon Man simply stared back, unfazed by death, never mind some old guy.

I broke the tension, inquiring, "Oi, oi! Knock it off, old guy! Would you explain to us how the inside of a whale looks like this?"

"Inside of a whale?"

Crocus smirked. "Like it? I painted it myself as a part of a hobby in my old age."

"So, we're inside a whale," Zoro calmly affirmed. "Dart-Brow, calm down, the old man is probably doing that to rile you up. Why don't you act more like Gin and keep a cool head? Say, old man, who exactly are you?"

The flower-like one retorted, "Aren't you kids rude? You know it's polite to introduce yourselves before inquiring about another person's name."

Zoro scratched the back of his and apologized, saying, "Oh, sorry about that, then. My name is-"

"I am Crocus, the lighthouse keeper of the Twin Capes. I'm 71 years old, a Gemini and type

AB blood."

Type AB…I think I remember Oda-sama saying that One Piece had another system of blood typing in addition to the traditional one. Gah, that didn't matter right now!

Gin was pulling Zoro back before our resident homicidal swordsman went and cut up the weird old man.

"Honestly, you brats are rude and delinquents. To think you come intrude upon my private resort and start mouthing off to me. Hey, you, panda-eyed brat. Didn't you come through here a few weeks ago with that other loudmouth?"

"The Don? Well, yes…"

"So, you wised up and found another captain, I see. I didn't bother meeting you then since I rather not deal with a bunch of rubble rousers. Plus, I'm just one old man against 50 ships. That's also why you didn't meet Laboon here, because I made him dive below until you lot left," Crocus stated, flipping another page of his newspaper.

"Laboon? Is that the name of the whale that- wait, that thing really did swallow us?" yelped Nami.

"Well, this isn't the stomach of some mouse, is it?"

"Ah! I don't want to be digested!" Nami despaired.

Crocus sniffed and pointed. "If you want out before then, just head over through the exit there. I promise you, it doesn't lead down, either." Mid-conversation, though, the whole place started shaking wildly.

Crocus calmly informed us the whale we were inside of had begun to bash his head against the Red Line. As Nami aptly put it, the whale was suffering, head full of scars and an unceasing bellow to the heavens above. After explaining, Crocus spooked us by diving right into the ocean of stomach acid.

"Do you think he'll be okay? If this is that whale's stomach then this ocean is actually stomach acid!"

"He'll be fine," I reassured Nami. "There's stomach acid in here for sure but did you see how much ocean water the whale swallowed along with us? It probably takes time for things to digest." I stopped then fretted, "Though, the _Going Merry_ is constantly sailing through this and our hull is wood, not metal like that old guy's ship islands. We need to leave and soon!"

"Usopp-san's right. We need to go and head for the exit out of here!" Gin pointed out.

* * *

With the way the whole stomach cavern rocked, we could hardly steer the ship toward the giant steel gate.

"AAAAAaaaahhhhh!"

Everyone looked up as three figures soared through the air and into the stomach acid sea.

I eyed the strange duo with a considering look. After fishing Luffy out of the stomach acid, we also grabbed these two. If I recalled correctly, their codenames were Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday. I don't really remember what happened to the royal wannabee after the whole mess with Alabasta, but he wasn't a bad guy necessarily. Annoying, but okay for a mercenary.

They came to, but I pulled my slingshot in warning, foot planted firmly on their bazookas. As decent as these guys could be, it still didn't change the fact that they wanted to hurt Laboon and didn't have any problem blasting Crocus to do it. Gin caught on pretty quickly, both tonfas out and ready.

"YOU! Even if I have to risk my very life, I WILL NOT LET EITHER OF YOU HARM LABOON!" bellowed Crocus from the smaller attached door to the exit.

"Old man, do you know these jokers?" I called out.

Crocus grimly nodded and explained how these two had been on his case trying to hurt the island whale for a supply of meat for 2-3 years.

That was good enough for us. I threw a look at Gin. A quick smack of his tonfas and we had two unconscious "guests". We all reassembled on Crocus's island home.

"So, those two are from a different island? Why do they need whale meat so badly?" Nami asked Crocus.

Crocus shrugged. "Who knows? I don't try and make trouble, and these whelps are more annoying than anything. I used to be a pirate for a few years, so I can handle a mite more than you think I could at my age. I absolutely won't allow any harm to come to Laboon!"

Crocus leaned forward and outline Laboon's story, from the pirates who left him behind and their promise to return, to the lonely 50 years Laboon has endured. With Crocus's help, they sailed along the canals he made inside of Laboon. He also made mention that he served those years at sea as a ship doctor.

"Really, Flower Ossan? You used to be a ship doctor? Then join my crew!" proposed Luffy.

Crocus snorted and declined on the account of his age. Plus, he had to stay take care of Laboon.

* * *

Once outside, we dropped off our unexpected guests: right into the ocean. I ignored the two's dialogue in favor of getting a good look at Laboon (I didn't exactly have time to take in the sight what with the whole "we're about to crash" scenario and the events happening right). I've seen whales at a distance and at some rehabilitation places, but they had nothing on the majestic black beauty that was Laboon. He really did look like some sort of mountain if you didn't know he was alive, and the sun glistened rather nicely off his tough ebony skin.

When Crocus revealed his knowledge of the fate of the crew who had left Laboon to him, I refrained from speaking; I had no proof to back up any claims to say otherwise about the ends of Laboon's friends, and from a technical aspect, half of them did try and flee the Grand Line, if only because their days were already numbered.

I told the others I would be going to inspect the _Merry._ I found Luffy in the process of breaking our ship.

"Luffy!" I hissed, trying not to grab the other's attention. "I don't know what you think you're doing – I hope it's more than trying to _break our damn ship! –_ but whatever you think you need that for, don't!"

Luffy pouted, "But I need something big enough to handle Laboon!"

 _For the love of-!_ "Fine! Don't use the main mast, though, we really need that intact unless you want us to be stranded if it falls apart on us! At least limit the damage to something less essential; use the foremast!" I groaned in defeat. I resisted the urge to bang my head against our barely saved main mast as Luffy charged Laboon, yelling. _Rubber-brained, reckless-!_

The others agreed with me as they screamed, "LUFFY, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Laboon didn't take kindly to a piece of wood being speared into his head; he wailed in agony, swinging his head and ramming Luffy and the mast into the Red Line. The battle ended after Laboon sent Luffy flying into the lighthouse.

Luffy grinned and announced, "IT'S A TIE! I'm pretty strong, right? This fight isn't over, so we will battle again someday! I know your friends are gone now, but I'm your new rival! When my crew finishes sailing around the Grand Line, we'll surely return here and meet you again. And then we'll duke it out all over again!"

Tears sprang from Laboon's eyes. After that declaration, the whale threw his head back and bellowed his acceptance of the challenge and promise.

"This crew is certainly different," Gin unhelpfully remarked. I shot the dour man a glare, telling him I didn't particularly care for comments on our relative insanity, thank you very much!

* * *

I managed to convince Luffy that I would paint the mark on Laboon's head since his would be a mockery of our sign, plus an accurate representation could be useful later on. Not only would the symbol represent our crew's promise to the island whale, but it would also be a promise of protection against future whale hunters.

*Sigh* The damages looking back at me physically hurt. Thank Oda I stopped Luffy from destroying the _Merry_ worse than before, but the torn off foremast didn't really reassure me of how well I was taking care of our ship. I had Luffy help me align it ("You were the one to break it, so you better help me fix it!"). With a mouth full of nails and bolts, I went to work, using metal plates to patch up the damage, alternating between the more malleable materials and the more rigid steel and iron plates to reinforce the mast without taking away the degree of flexibility it would need to withstand the Grand Line's extreme weather conditions. Gin volunteered his assistance, lugging various materials up from the hold and holding things in place for me to hammer into place. At least I now had someone who I could rely on to lend a hand without bullying them as Nami often did.

While we worked I gave him an overview of my Soru skills like the others had. I spoke loudly enough Sanji could hear if he chose to as he walked past.

Sanji finally finished with the elephant tuna I nearly strained my back carrying from Logue Town, so we all sat down for a meal.

Nami looked aghast at her compass. The needle spun and spun wildly around.

"What is going on?"

I kindly explained, "Normal compasses don't work out here. A geology book I perused made mention of how Grand Line islands are high in magnetic materials, so they interfere with traditional methods of navigation."

"Your long-nosed friend is right," Crocus concurred. "Here in the Grand Line, an entirely new set of navigational skills is necessary to cross these seas. You'll need to find a log pose before you can carry on your adventure."

"A log pose? Never heard of it."

"It's a special sort of compass capable of recording the unique magnetic fields surrounding each island. That's the cause of why normal compasses won't work since all those strong fields interfere with their ability to track the normal polarity of the planet…" Crocus explained.

I listened to Crocus, but also kept a sharp eye for Luffy's grabby fingers, flicking a pachinko ball in warning each time he tried to snatch up our portions of food. Luffy threw me a sappy puppy face, but I kept my expression firm: you are not getting our share! For my own meal, I quickly munched it up, mouth bursting with flavor. Only when finished would I even lower my silent guard over the delicious food. Gin wisely followed my example and quickly scarfed down his meal as well.

"Nami-san? You didn't try and purchase one at Logue Town? That's where people from our part of the seas usually purchase one," said Gin. He put up his hands up defensively as Nami gave him her death glare, daring him to make another comment.

Since he couldn't grab more food, Luffy joined into the conversation and inquired, "Hey, Flower Ossan, does that compass look weird-looking and round?"

"Why yes, the log poses do have a distinct look about them."

"Like this?" Luffy asked, offering the log pose he picked up.

"Why yes, it does indeed look exactly like that one you have there."

A beat. Then Nami wigged out on Luffy.

Crocus seemed pretty used to our crew's antics (well, he did have to deal with Buggy and Shanks stuck on one boat) and went on to explain the general structure of the path ahead of us. Gin looked pretty surprised learning this and explained his crew knew about the log pose, but only had scant knowledge about navigation there, mostly rumors and hearsay. So, he heeded Crocus nearly as much as Nami as the old pirate went on to explain the path lying ahead of them:

From the Red Line on this side of the world, we could pick any of seven routes which would cross half the world before reaching the other side of the Red Line. From there, the paths continue on until converging on the final island: Raftel. A legendary island whose existence was confirmed by the late pirate king and his crew. If there was anywhere One Piece could be, most best would place it there.

Now that I was done eating, I redirected Sanji and Nami to their pieces of fish being toted away by rubbery arms. Unfortunately, Sanji lost his temper a bit too badly, smashing Luffy right over and past Nami. Sanji joined Luffy for a swim when the redhead registered the shards of glass.

I patted her arm. "Nami, don't worry. I knew about the log pose and managed to grab this one from Logue Town since I figured such a popular destination before the Grand Line would have a few sold in the shops-"

"You knew _and_ had this the entire time?!"

 _Oops._ And there I went flying after the others.

* * *

Five heads burst up from the water by the shore. I glared at the two agents we originally threw into the sea. Princess or not, Laboon was not someone you should be hunting if you needed food!

Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday pitched us their appeal for letting them board our ship for a trip to their home island. Crocus was not fooled. Gin didn't show anything, but he was a sharp man, so he probably picked up that something was not all that right as well.

I snickered at the mean trick Nami played on the pair. They kind of earned that much for making trouble. Luffy, our ever-gullible captain, didn't have any problem taking in the pair and setting our course for Whiskey Peak.

We set sail once the log pose set. Laboon bellowed one last time in farewell.

I took a seat in the crow's nest, eyes cast both on the skies above, and the potential enemies below. I didn't have to worry too much anyway about the two going off-script, not with Gin silently daring them to try anything in place of our snoozing swordsman.

 _Alright, so our adventure in Paradise officially begins!_ From here on out, I'll have to balance risky decisions with safe ones, probably sending our crew careening into uncharted waters of destiny while I'm at it. I eyed the Baroque Works agents. The addition of Gin to the crew was unexpected, and I would have to redouble my efforts to keep the origins of my impossible knowledge hidden. It would have preferred for me to reveal myself _after_ the next phase of our adventures, but something told me fate and the mysterious forces would not have it.

I prayed I wouldn't somehow screw things up more than I was undoubtedly doing right now.


	10. Chapter 10

To Party or Not to Party

* * *

A/N: Happy New Year's to all! Thought I bring the start of 2018 with a new chapter. Thanks to all my readers, followers, voters, and reviewers who make writing so much fun each and every year.

Here's to nightmaster000, BlueAutumn12, BlackDove WhiteDove, Guest [chapchap], Guest, and Sulina for last chapter's wonderful reviews.

Now, onto the Grand Line!

* * *

I could really understand why Gin looked so hollowed out and terrified about his first experiences in the Grand Line; between the rapid changes from of clear weather, snow, lightning, and gales, and the sudden turns of luck, literal at one point and in the form of a freaking iceberg in another, I was exhausted. Gin didn't look much better, but I was simply glad he didn't shut down or go into a panic attack after the nonstop change in weather in the past few hours.

 _Tears in sails sewn up?_ Check. _Leaks in the hull patched?_ Check. _Foremast rechecked for any strains on the patches?_ Double-check.

Everyone laid sprawled on the deck after a few hours of running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Zoro's yawns were greeted by searing glares. Zoro then finally noticed our two guests. He attempted to interrogate our passengers, but Nami interrupted him before he could pursue the matter of "Miss Wednesday" and "Mr. 9".

Despite the harrowing baptism the Grand Line gave us, Nami didn't falter, even as she firmly admitted her lack of knowledge. I shook my head at the very much not reassuring statement but smiled when our navigator swore things will be okay nonetheless. Gin looked at her with one-part astonishment at her guts and one-part admiration for accepting the Grand Line's inherent chaos.

"Nami-san is an amazing navigator," Gin commented as he helped me patch up some more tears.

I smiled and replied, "Yep, she's the best! She had to be since she's been traveling around the East Blue for many years on her own. Have you tried reading the log book? Nami started one not too long ago after we left her hometown."

"Shouldn't the captain be writing it?"

"…you've met Luffy, right? He's way too impatient to sit down and write a proper letter, never mind an entire entry with details and everything. That and if he has a standard village education, he's probably not that literate. Nami and I both learned extensively from library books and self-study, while Sanji…I'm guessing he had formal education since beneath his copious flirting, he's pretty well-spoken."

"…I see. But, am I allowed to read those?"

I chuckled, "Gin, you're a Straw Hat. Crewmates should be able to read the crew's log books if only for a refresher for newer members. Nami certainly let me read the couple of entries she got down, granted they're events starting when she met Luffy; she'll probably have to interrogate Zoro and Luffy for their adventures before then. Just remember to ask Nami first in case she's working on it. Plus, she keeps it in the girl's room."

Our captain's presence bunking in with the rest of us guys was another thing that set Gin off-balance. After all, captains as a rule had their own cabin separate from the crew. The first time put the usually collected man a bit off-tempo, but it helped Luffy hardly ever acted like a captain unless the situation was pretty dire. Only then would people outside our crew understand why such an unlikely group of people would follow someone like him.

And that, Gin understood firsthand himself. Gin may not be as free-willed or as relaxed as the rest of us, but I think he made a good fit as a Straw Hat. And Oda knew the crew could use another cool-headed and calculating person to balance our crew's brand of insanity and recklessness.

* * *

Before us, the cactus-like rocks of Whiskey Peak emerged from the creeping fog cloaking the island from sight moments before.

I regarded Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 with speculation as they hopped onto the ship's railings. Gin subtly placed a hand near the tonfas he kept strapped to his waist belt, ringed eyes hooded.

"Thank you, kind pirates for taking us home!" they jointly said. "But, we will make ourselves scarce here. Perhaps the fates will bring our paths together once more!" Both threw us some pretty dubious smiles as they dived into the water, saying, "Bye, kiddos!"

None of us seemed very impressed with whatever that was about, but Luffy couldn't care less. He told us to prepare to land.

"Hey, …do you think we'll meet monsters here?" I asked.

Sanji pointed out, "This is the Grand Line. Monsters are part of the norm if the giant sea squid didn't tell you that."

"That's what I'm afraid of!" I defended myself. I knew logically the island was too bare to support much of anything – hence the food shortage problem – but the Usopp part of my brain still felt compelled to ask on principle and out of paranoia. Fear did wonders to keep one on their toes. "Think about it, the log pose could take several days to set, and then we'll stranded on a probably monster-infested island! It may not be this one, but the next one could mean flirting with the constant chance of death!" And wasn't that true? Monsters, giant carnivorous reptiles, giant goldfish, actual giants…why did everything in this world have to be extreme in sizes?

"Usopp, we would have to suck it up and wait it out because the log pose is the only thing we can depend on for navigation. Maybe you should take a break in your storytelling, your imagination is getting away with you, I think," suggested Nami with a raised eyebrow.

I have a very healthy mix of imagination and paranoia, thank you very much! Although, I may be sinking a bit too much in my role of Usopp.

As we sailed up the river, the giant green cactus rocks loomed all around us like ominous sentinels. I could barely repress a shudder; what appeared as prickles to everyone else was frightfully clear with my improved vision: hundreds if not thousands of graves scattered across their surfaces. _The operation_ _here must have run for many years_ my inner scientist noted. My less than happy inner Usopp yelled at me to warn the others, to turn the ship around and get the hell out of this death trap. I told both to pipe it.

My uneasiness didn't go unnoticed as Gin's eyes darted between me and the apparent source of my anxiety with a frown.

Cheers thundered around us as the boun- people of Whiskey Peak came to welcome us. I took a deep breath and pulled an appropriately wide grin. _Acting skills I never had before this, don't fail me now!_

"Wow! Look at this! These people sure love pirates," I commented goofily to the others. "They see us as some sort of heroes!"

"Is that right?" questioned Gin, incredulous and tense as he took in the sight.

So. Many. Curls! "Agarappoi's" sense of hair fashion was pretty hilarious (although I would never say that to his face…or to his wife's face whom I would depend on for food and rest after nearly dying). Anyways, the curly haired man invited us for a banquet full of food and wine.

Seriously, after two of their "citizens" tried to take down an island whale because their town was in dire straits for food? You would think Sanji would have remembered such a detail – _if he wasn't enamored by Miss Wednesday and the lovely ladies on shore_ my mind offered in defense of the curly-browed chef. _Yeah…right!_ I still played my part, joining Sanji and Luffy in cheering for our "good" turn of fortunes. Gin wasn't so easily fooled or moved, and maintained a blank face. I hissed to him under my breath, "Play along," before going back to gape at the adoring crowd of people.

Right now, Zoro and Nami had challenged a ton of people to drinking contests, Sanji was enamored with armful of ladies, Luffy worked over the cooks to unconsciousness, and Gin eventually joined the first two in out-drinking the people of Whiskey Peak. As for me…

"So, I confronted the queen of the nightmare lands, fearless and unaffected by her evil enchantments. With only my trusty hammer, slingshot, and wit, I vanquished her once and for all!" I slurred. A capsule of questionable ingredients I swallowed earlier, and my face was flushed as if I was really drunk. I made sure to exaggerate my gestures to cover up for the tablet I tossed into my drink as I chugged it down. There went the alcohol potency. Any curious frothing was explained by how much I sloshed the contents every other few words.

I had opened my act with stories about crew's journey here, adding a healthy bit of embellishment. As the night winded down and people (i.e. Sanji and Luffy just a little way away) could barely remember anything in these past several minutes, I started talking about my past adventures before now (i.e. future adventures). I think the increasingly wildness of my "tall tales" convinced the bounty hunters I was well and truly sloshed. I was all arms and legs at the end. Once I heard Zoro's head thump on the table, I swayed and swooned on my feet before just conking out on the floor.

My crewmates' presences eased into the rhythm of sleep save for three of them. I waited before making my move. Once Zoro and Nami slipped away, I gave them five minutes before getting up myself. Gin was back on his feet as well.

"Well, party's over, let's see what the after-party is like shall we?" I proposed.

Gin stared intensely back at me. "Usopp-san, why did the giant cacti put you at such disquiet?"

"Disquiet?"

"You were shuddering, it was faint, but I definitely saw it just after you started looking at the cacti."

 _What to say, what to say…_ I chose the honest truth. "You know how I'm a sniper, right? And how I have a high-speed technique called Flicker. Back in my home village, there was this pirate captain we met who had a similar technique, but he couldn't control it very well because his eyes couldn't keep up with the speed. I trained my vision for years to combat the tunnel-vision effect, and this in turn led to improved sight overall. I can detect movement even faster than what I can do, and I can also see much further than a normal person without my goggles. With these on, I can see what the cacti really are."

"And they are?"

"Graves. Hundreds to thousands of graves scattered on green boulders to give the appearance of prickly cacti."

"I see. These people are some sort of bounty hunters, then? Their targets being the captain and myself," Gin quickly concluded. Let it be said the former first mate of Krieg's crew was a shrewd man.

I nodded and said, "No doubt about that. Let's see if we can change their perceptions about us being their latest "victims", shall we?"

* * *

"Think Zoro needs a hand?" I questioned the dark man, Sanji hauled over my shoulder while Gin kept a watch for the one hundred of so agents scattered about the town and confronting our fight-happy swordsman.

"Hardly. Roronoa is fairly competent; anyone who has the guts to challenge _that man_ should be able to confront pests like these bounty hunters," inputted Gin as he ran ahead of me, tonfas striking quickly should any agent stumble accidentally in our path.

Originally, we debated about actually waking Sanji up, but the chef must have been slipped a narcotic (or was really that exhausted, hmph!) since normal means of waking him up didn't work. I did have half a mind to dump some water over his head, but my relationship with the surly chef already had some black marks against me without adding ruined formal clothes on top of that. I could have made Gin do it, but there really wasn't any need for Sanji to get involved in this. Then there was Luffy, but the huge bloated rubber man wouldn't wake up either. Since we needed to come back for our other crewmates anyways, Gin and I agreed to simply stow Luffy away somewhere else while we put our other unconscious crewmate out of harm's way.

Finally, we reached the _Merry._ I dropped off my burden over by the table, and the two of raced into the night. I had not a clue how I would get Luffy out of there even with Gin's help or prevent the impromptu duel between our crew's strongest fighters, but I would at least do something. _Maybe if I wake him up before Zoro finishes off the bounty hunters?_ The water trick apparently didn't work on food comas (if it's Luffy), but maybe if we took more extreme measures. Well, it was better than doing nothing. I hope. Maybe?

I told Gin it was probably best if we split up, one of to go back while the other tracked down Nami in case she ran into a stray bounty hunter. Gin saw my reasoning well enough and hypothesized Nami would be located where the bounty hunters kept their treasure. I also asked him to keep an eye out for the weapon stores. One could never have enough of free artillery equipment. And considering these people were planning on nabbing a devil fruit user, they should have just what I needed for my weapon designs.

As the stronger of the two of us, Gin would go and find Nami while I supported our other two and significantly stronger crewmates. I reassured Gin I would be able to maneuver around the bounty hunters easily enough as long as I kept an eye out for them.

* * *

I dashed off, using Flicker in short bursts. Unfortunately, my sixth sense didn't fare too well with detecting animals as well as humans.

"…ACK!" I yelped falling backwards. "Hehe…who got the number on that speeding fowl?" I groggily asked. I shook my head and blinked my eyes clear. A very menacing Miss Wednesday holding a long-bladed dagger and her semi-dependable duck loomed over me. _Ah, shit!_

With a blade held up to my throat, I had no choice but to comply being dragged over to where Zoro stood locked with Mr. 9's wired bat. My speed techniques weren't good enough to slip away without getting cut if Miss Wednesday moved too suddenly in return. It's just my luck to replace Luffy as the helpless hostage, wouldn't it?

"Huh? Usopp? What are you doing up?"

"Hey, Zoro, I would say the same to you, but don't you think there is something a bit more important than that? Like the whole…KNIFE HELD TO MY DAMN THROAT?!"

Cold metal presses down slightly.

"Sniper-san, I recommend you hold your tongue unless you can bear to part with it," Miss Wednesday warns me with a dark smile. "As for you Samurai-san, I suggest you yield unless you want to risk your friend's life?"

As an assassin, Miss Wednesday was terrible as she took her eyes off me due to her partner being flung like a yoyo in front of Mr. 8's assault. She was distracted but I was not. _Now!_ I had no qualms about flipping my work hammer into my hand and knocking the blade away, stomping my heavy boots on whatever flipper and or foot I could reach.

"Usopp, duck!"

He didn't need to tell me twice! I hit the ground as Mr. 9 came hurling toward his partner and her steed. Rolling to my feet, I exchange blunt instrument for slingshot and fire on the curly-haired man..

" **Hissatsu: Flame Star!** "

Agarappoi stumbles back, face and hair ashen. In no time, Zoro scales the building and heads right for the bounty hunter.

"And that makes about 100," Zoro declared.

"Did you count the ones Gin knocked out, too?"

"Oh, so that's why there were more bodies on the ground than I remembered knocking out."

"You're pretty bloodthirsty, Zoro-kun," I sighed. I joined Zoro up on the rooftop, fingers still twitchy from almost having my throat slit.

"So, what brings up out here tonight?" questioned Zoro, chugging a bottle of sake he probably nabbed from one of the unconscious bounty hunters. "I thought for sure you were out like everyone else."

"Puh-lease," I scoffed, "they were acting way too suspicious. Throwing a party when those clowns had to hunt an island whale because their hometown is in a food deficit? No way in Roger's name would people desperate enough to go whale hunting the king of them would do that for some handful of strangers unless they were getting something out of it. Plus, did you check out the cacti? They have graves, GRAVES, all over them! Doesn't any of that ring "ulterior motives" to you?

Gin served under a despicable but crafty guy; no doubt he knows all the underhanded tricks in the book. I asked him to play along because we needed these guys to underestimate us. And it looks like someone else had the same idea; I bet Nami is out here somewhere, probably looting the town for all its worth. While you were dealing with these nuts, Gin and I hauled the chef back into the _Merry_ and stashed Luffy somewhere else since a giant ball of rubber and meat is too conspicuous to roll along the streets."

"Wow, I didn't know you knew words like "deficit" and "ulterior". Or were that perceptive. You sure you are our cowardly sniper?" Zoro teased.

My hands twitched for Ginga Pachinko.

"So, if you knew that, why didn't you bother warning anyone else?"

And back to worrying. I weighed my words carefully even my inner Usopp cried about the jig being up. "…Zoro, you drink sake all day and knew something was up with our "guests". Also, I don't even think you're capable of getting drunk. Plus, you have the whole mental discipline thing, so I thought you would have been fine.

As for the others…Nami didn't look too impressed by the whole "Town of Welcoming" deal, either, and she's a professional con artist, the queen of them. As for Luffy and Sanji…do you think either would have listened? The first kind of loses his mind when it comes to free food, and Sanji still hates my guts after my big speech on the _Baratie._ "

"Good point," Zoro allowed, eyes still narrowed. "Usopp, I've never asked, but how did you rescue me? You've explained the speed thing, and we've seen Kuro do the same thing. But, I never seen or heard of a human who could walk on water without a devil fruit. And we're all aware you don't have devil fruit powers."

"Err…" Why did it have to be Zoro? Sanji hated me too much to bring it up, Luffy didn't care, Gin and Nami probably noticed, but they for whatever reason did not desire to pursue it. Why did Zoro, the scariest guy I know, have to be the one. _Okay, cool it. He doesn't know…in fact, there was a less than one percent chance he would even get anywhere close to the truth. You can spin something, can't you world's greatest liar?_ But should I lie? I always intended on telling the guys something around this point.

"Zoro, I suppose since we're here in the Grand Line, it's about time I explain a bit more about my training: you see, when I was younger, I've heard stories from some old salts about people who could perform amazing superhuman feats. Feats like disappear from sight from pure speed, cut and puncture things with only their limbs in place of a weapon, even walk on air, and take unreal damage as if their skin was armor."

"And you believed them?" questioned Zoro with a raised brow. I chuckled and nodded.

"There's truth in every story, that what I've always told myself," I defended. "So, I trained like crazy since I was a kid to see if I could do those things, too. You know about the speed-thing, and I didn't really learn to walk on air like the story characters, but I can do something nearly as good. Called it Scaling Step. I learned to walk on water when I accidentally misjudged the distance and Flickered over the water; I found myself kind of skipping right over the surface? I call it Skim. There's a few other techniques I know, but I'll explain them when the crew is back together."

"Hmm, that's pretty interesting, to know. I figure Gin knows, you seem a bit buddy-buddy with him," Zoro suggested with a grin.

I scoffed, "Hah hah, Zoro-kun. I saved him, and he saved me. There's a bond in that sort of thing. But yeah, he's aware of a few of my abilities himself, seeing how he witnessed what I had to pull out to have a chance against Big Lips.

Anyways, you don't have to worry about me all the time. I may still be one of the weakest members, but I can pull through in a pinch! Eh, while we're on the topic, how about you? To reach the top, cutting down a galleon is only the tip of an iceberg of things for you to do. I'm sure you can uncover your true power quicker than I can."

Zoro's remarkably blank face through my speech did not assure me about whatever thoughts were going through his head. Finally, the swordsman chuckled and remarked, "You can add philosopher and idealist to the list, too. You gave me something to think about. You reminded me of something an old teacher of mine told me long ago. He used to tell me about a sword that can't cut through anything yet can cut through steel. You sure you're younger than me?"

"Zoro-kun-!" I started but then stopped, head drawn to the scene unfolding below us. Zoro paused in his drinking as well. Both of us looked down. A strange and dangerous pair made themselves known as Miss Valentine and Mr. 5.

"Agarappoi doesn't seem very happy to see these guys. Who are all these crazy people anyway?" I questioned Zoro.

Zoro wiped off his face and answered, "Baroque Works. A highly secretive organization made up of bounty hunters and criminals. They have their fingers in a lot of illegal and questionable stuff, or so I heard. They actually tried recruiting me a while back."

Suddenly, the curly-haired man opened fire on the two. The building shook as something exploded, and I was unfortunately standing a bit close to the edge of it.

"Usopp!" groaned Zoro. I faceplanted not a few feet away from the brewing chaos called internal conflict. There's go any respect I created from our short conversation.

"Igaram! Igaram!" cried out the blue-haired woman.

From out of the smoke, the weirdo with dreadlocks and a red coat with the number five printed everywhere strolled out undamaged. He drawled, "We have found out the name of two spies: One is the head of the Alabasta Kingdom's royal guards Igaram. The second one…is no less than that kingdom's princess Nefertari Vivi!"

"She's royalty?!" I choked out, trying to crawl back to my feet. I felt an arm yank me away from the very dangerous fight breaking out.

"Usopp, quit messing around!" *Boom!* "Man, that's a dangerous booger! This isn't our fight, so let's-"

Zoro suddenly stopped, letting go of me unexpectedly. I rolled a good distance before I flopped onto my back.

Igaram.

"P-lease! Swordsman-san, a moment of your time! With your great strength and Sniper-san's acuity, will you please listen to this unreasonable request of mine?!"

"Hey, hey, let go! I ain't a charity! Just because you beg us doesn't mean we'll listen to a word you say!" protested Zoro as he swung and shook his trapped foot. But Igaram had an iron grip on it, it seemed.

"Please! I am powerless in the face of those two ability users! So, I ask if you will protect the princess in my stead! Please, I beg you!"

Zoro wasn't having it, redoubling his efforts to dislodge the man.

I huffed, "You two were just about to turn us in to the marines for our captain and crewmate's bounties, weren't you? What reason would any of us choose to help you? Out of the goodness of our hearts? We're pirates, why would you think that?"

Igaram grimaced as the truth of my words hit him, morals warring with duty. Duty won as Igaram continued, "Then if so, how about this! If you can escort her safely back to Alabasta Kingdom in the far east, I promise you a great reward for this task…! Please good sirs, find it in your hearts to protect the princess!"

"Oh, a great reward you say?" inquired a familiar voice silkily. Nami sat at ease on the rooftop. Gin looked appropriately dangerous as he spun his tonfas with hardly any effort put into the motion. "If that's so…how about 1 billion beli, hmm?"

"Nami?!" Zoro and I yelled.

The witch of our crew haggled with Igaram. I knew very well we won't be receiving that kind of money from a desert kingdom, much less one entrenched in a civil war. _Although…didn't Baroque Works HQ have a giant GOLDEN statue on top of it?_ Hmm…food for thought, since we needed plenty of money for some of the stuff I had in mind. Was there a way the Alabasta Kingdom could forward us the money from the gold sale maybe?

I probably should have paid more attention to my surroundings since I didn't notice Luffy finally getting up from where I stashed him and wandering about the town. Until he passed right by me. Gin and I shared a glance and silently agreed to follow after him.

* * *

"Gah-! Luffy!" I shouted, running after the walking ball of food and rubber once we caught up to him. Luffy finally turned around. Then gaped. _What? Was there someone behin- oh…_ The masses of injured Baroque Works agents. Whom Luffy had deemed okay because they fed him.

"Usopp, Gin! What happened to all these nice people?!"

I cleared my throat and started, "Well, you see Luffy, these people aren't nice for one; they're bounty hunters after our crew's bounty heads. We, your not-as-infamous crew, would have joined the "prickles" of the cactus rocks as new graves-"

"Usopp." I shut my mouth as the seething tone. "Who did this?"

I scratched my neck. "Uhhh…Zoro did?"

Before I could stop him, Luffy had waddled off to where Zoro was confronting the Mr. 5 duo. I thunk my head against a building. _Great, oh silver-tongued Usopp! You let Luffy go and fight Zoro!_

I had a few options. One, go follow Luffy and end up in between my captain and his unofficial vice-captain duking it out while the two BW agents try their best to attack Princess Vivi and the two idiots getting in their way. Or, two, I could wait until after the battle. There was option 3, go prepare the ship and maybe wake up Sanji. That was the safest option since Usopp originally never woke up until the battles long finished, and everyone prepared to flee for their lives to the next island. Gin was still here with a pained look of exasperation. He didn't run after Luffy, but stuck by me. I had a feeling he was waiting for me to make up my mind about what to do.

Did I go on this journey to be safe? _Don't do it,_ inner Usopp whimpered. _Option 2_ , I compromised. Risky but not unnecessarily so. Plus, there was something I wanted to do, anyway. I gestured for Gin to follow, but put my hand up in a sign of slow as the sounds of the two idiots' battle reached us.

"Usopp-san," Gin hissed. "What is going on?"

I sighed, "Just a pair of dumbasses fighting a meaningless battle. I guess Luffy must have missed the whole trying to kill us spiel of my explanation and went straight to picking a fight with Zoro. By the way, those people we're fighting is some sort of sketchy organization called Baroque Works. I take it you must know something about them?" Gin had narrowed his eyes the moment I said the name.

"Yes, some rumors," Gin began. "As Krieg's battle commander, I also collected various records on the movements of famous bounty hunters and pirate whether or not they were of the East Blue. As the saying goes, know thine enemy as thee knows thyself. I worked quite a few strategies for a variety of opponents, though those focused more on organizing large groups of people rather than individual strengths and weaknesses." Made since, he was the battle _commander_. He had about 5000 subordinates to coordinate into effective legions of fighters. I had a feeling Gin probably played quite a hand in Krieg's dominance of the East Blue as much as having a ridiculous number of fighters.

"Good to know about that. Anyway, two more agents showed up as you probably noticed. Totally heartless pair who are after Princess Vivi. Since Nami's adamant about earning her beli, Zoro would be not too far from the princess. In turn those two newcomers probably will get caught in the crossfire between our two strongest fighters."

"I would feel pity for them if they had not tried to kill all of us in our vulnerable state," Gin deadpanned.

"Same here. Let's just watch for now. I rather not have a rerun of what happened the last time I got involved with two idiots fighting."

It still amazed me how stubborn Luffy could be since he didn't listen to a word Zoro tried to say in between clashes. As I predicted, Miss Valentine and Mr. 5 hardly had enough firepower or skill to dodge the two's wildly thrown attacks. Now Luffy and Zoro were about to collide one last time, the weird duo knocked out at their feet.

*WHAM!* Nami punched both men clean off their feet. I stayed back and listened, eyes locked to the roofs and sky above them. _Where oh where are they?_ There! I caught Gin's gaze and inclined my head up toward the odd pair of animals.

Gin nodded and darted out from our hiding place, easily climbing the buildings and was on the pair shortly.

Miss Friday squawked indignantly as she flew out of range of the tonfas. Mr. 13 had his shell blades drawn, but one look and he knew they would shatter against the cannonball-like ends. Lucky for them, killing or maiming wasn't Gin's objective. No, the whole point was to get all their attention on the demonic man and not on the sniper climbing the building behind them.

The vulture and otter didn't see anything amiss, too intent on the largest perceived threat. Not until it was too late. They would have only felt something small and light tap the back of their heads. Blue smoke suddenly enshrouded the two animals. The light substance was dispersed pretty quickly by the night breeze, but the first exposure at point zero was the important part. The two animals fell, and Gin helped them down with a casual swing.

Meanwhile, the thump of two small bodies snapped the foursome from their moment of careless idiocy. They somehow totally missed the two spies and their crewmates fighting.

"What the-? Mr. 13 and Miss Friday?" gasped Princess Vivi.

"Who the hell are they?!" Nami screamed.

Princess Vivi stuttered, "T-they're called the Unluckies! They're supposed to be Mr. 0's ears and eyes! If they had heard us-!"

"Then good thing your friends with the Great Captain Usopp and Gin! My eyes that can pick out a spot a fly from several hundred feet away can easily make out a suspicious pair like them!" I boast, jumping down from the roof. "Gin played decoy while I nab them just before you said anything really bad in front of them…I hope. Anyways, what should we do with them?"

Princess Vivi looked conflicted. "Well…if they heard us say Mr. 0's true identity as Sir Crocodile of the Shichibukai, they'll paint a bullet on the back of everyone here!"

"Crocodile? A Shichibukai like Hawk-Eyes?" Gin gaped, dark skin somehow turning white with apprehension. I was having the same reaction as the sheer volume of the dangers ahead of us from now on finally dawned on me. Crocodile may not take as an active role as some of his fellow turncoat pirates, but he still had more experience, more minions, and Logia power to back him up.

Nami grabbed the princess and started to shake her, yelling, "AND YOU DID IT AGAIN! Don't go revealing dangerous things to people if you planned to keep it a secret from them!"

While that was happening, I went over and gestured for Gin to hand me the back of just-in-case supplies I snagged from the ship which included some ropes, tape, and rags. From head to claw toes, they resembled so much a duct tape and rope mummy. I even blindfolded them and stuck in some putty for earplugs.

"Hey, do you think they taste good?" Luffy remarked, drooling. _Didn't you just eat the town of a couple months' worth of food?!_

I felt conflicted. On one hand, they were sentient. On the other hand, they had no problem killing those Baroque Works agents, never mind killing us ourselves if they could.

"Uhh…Captain Luffy, I'm not too sure about eating them…" Princess Vivi sputtered, turning green at the thought. As I thought about it, technically a lot of One Piece animals had a vague sense of sentience anyway.

"I've heard vultures are usually not the fare of predators even after death since their meat is rather tough, odorous, and oily much like themselves. Otters are just oily," Gin informed our captain, adding his two-bits to the reasons to not eat them.

"We'll compromise," I declared. "We can stash them in the cargo hold. I can modify some chains to hold them, but we should probably keep an eye on them since they look like sneaky bastards. If they act out, then we can give them to Sanji to prepare. I've seen him turn scraps into something fantastically edible, so they can at least present him with a challenge for dish ideas."

"Okay, _shishishi!_ " Luffy cheered, eyes turning into meat at the thought. Nami looked exasperated (probably thinking about how much it will cost to feed our prisoners) while Zoro and Gin simply shrugged. Princess Vivi frowned sharply before sighing, accepting the pirate captain's decision.

Igaram's choice of disguise…disturbed me on the level of how distasteful it looked on him, and that came from someone who was a book nerd originally, not exactly someone up-and-up with fashion trends.

I knew it was going to happen. I anticipated it and braced for it. But the explosion of fire still caught part of me unguarded. Luffy was the first to recover, ordering us to return to the ship and set off.

"Hey, what about Curly-Brow?"

"Don't worry!" I yelled, one Baroque Works agent slung under my arm and the other over my other shoulder. "I dragged Sanji-kun to the ship while you were fighting those guys! I was actually heading back from the ship when Princess Vivi caught me!"

* * *

All of us plus Carue boarded the ship and rushed to prepare for a hasty set off.

Nami took one look at the still snoozing chef and let him have it. I was really glad to remember to prepare for this sort of event if only to avoid the pain of a triple head bump sported by Sanji.

Everyone was gathering on the deck as morning arrived.

"You should keep an eye on the currents past here. The river is flanked by some nasty rocks from here on out, and the fog hasn't completely lifted yet. And, also, congratulations on escaping Whiskey Peak~"

I had just rounded the corner of the second floor when I heard Princess Vivi seethe, "What do you know about what happened to Igaram?!"

Like in the manga/anime, everyone but Luffy and Vivi drew or prepared to draw a weapon on our unexpected intruder. I made a note to ask Sanji where'd he get the gun since he didn't have one on him when he left the _Baratie_ from what I could recall. Maybe Gin had more than that flintlock he had locked on the female assassin? Although, what did the chef think he could accomplish pulling a gun on a _woman_ since it was him.

Miss All-Sunday, or Nico Robin. The archaeologist/assassin summarized the trick she pulled on the Alabastan princess, letting her tail follow her and find out Mr. 0's identity. She looked at us all in amusement and chuckled quietly, "My, my, such quick and total reactions. I couldn't resist on checking in on you personally – to observe the naive princess trying to save her kingdom from an organization like Baroque Works with nothing more than one servant, and poor one at that to be so easily blown up."

"DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

I sensed the hands before they grabbed me and tossed me over the railings. I let my body flow into a flip, landing on my feet unlike Sanji and Gin who tumbled into a heap (I did have the advantage of foreknowledge).

I warned the others, "Careful! I felt like someone else caught a hold of me and fling me over! It must be some sort of devil fruit!"

"Not too bad of a mind or senses you have, Long-Nose-kun. I wonder what really tipped you off to the town's deceptions? You played everyone pretty well back there. But that's beside the point. I haven't come here to make trouble. I won't even disturb the two you pirates have taken prisoner."

Luffy's hat came flying over to the raven-haired woman. Anything Luffy's weird bad guy/good guy detector concluded went out the window with that one action. After giving her whole spiel about Little Garden, she offered us an eternal log pose, which Luffy crushed out of hand.

So, our course was set for the island with an ironic name. Even though Miss All-Sunday wouldn't make trouble with us directly, she would probably report us in place of the Unluckies. In fact, she probably had a den den mushi stashed on her giant turtle boat.

Princess Vivi despaired, but Nami knew just what to say to the blue-haired woman – in more than one way. We left the cactus rocks with their ominous secret graveyard of countless victims behind us as we sailed off to the next island: Little Garden.


	11. Chapter 11

Dash of Truth, Sprinkle of Surprise

* * *

A/N: This chapter underwent some major restructure before publishing. Great inspiration from my wonderful beta Telepath98 for the idea!

Hmm, out of curiosity, do PM's sent through the app are made available to the website accounts? I sent one to each of my critics whom I owe a lengthy thank you for pointing out some flaws I very much needed to fix, but I did it through the app.

Significant edits in chapters:

4 [explanation of Flicker and Quick Draw, some minor things]

7 [Gin and Usopp's conversation tweaked a bit]

8 [little things. I'm trying to warm up to the idea of formally explaining Usopp's full capabilities]

9 [changed how Usopp gets the kairoseki but keeps the tools, incorporating what Draco Oblivion said]

10 [edited some conversations, especially the conversation between Usopp and Zoro to be less superfluous and airy. After considering the words of .420 and Draco Oblivion, I really rehashed the conversation and added a few other differences. Does it sound any better? Probably will go back a few more times throughout the writing of this]

Thanks to all readers, followers, voters, and especially reviewers like: BlackDove WhiteDove, Neobenm, Sulina, Mermaid's Magic, and .420, Draco Oblivion, Ender the multiverse Detective, The Keeper of Worlds, Guest, and Henrage.

To Mermaid's Magic: I'll definitely consider it. As for the Drum Island Arc, you'll have to wait and see~

To .420: I'm actually glad to hear your opinion. I never really gave a proper address to Usopp's Soru-based skills, so I'll be going back and doing some edits and rewrites. Might rework the scene with Zoro, I'll admit it could have been better written, but I didn't know how to go about it.

Although, I think the Six Powers accurately would be the trademark of CP9 and incorporated loosely by marines, usually seen in the upper ranks or people with high enough connections (Coby, vice admirals, Tashigi). Considering how East Blue is the weakest of seas, the chances of marines with those kinds of skills coming there is slim unless their home island is there. By how most people regard the East Blue before the rise of the Straw Hats, those kinds of people are freak occurrences, exceptional exceptions. And aside from Soru, the other techniques just aren't as widely spread even among marines.

Draco Oblivion, I'm not sure if you got my PM or not, but I did take in a lot of your suggestions and remarks in my latest re-edits of the chapters. Feel free to make more comments. Until this fic is completed, I don't mind going back and tinkering with the plot and how I wrote out stuff.

Sorry to hear about your disinterest, MrKeyFox, but I'll stand by my major plot and character decisions Quite a few reviewers did express a desire to have him included on the crew, so I thought, why not? Even if his background isn't all the interesting, he might make for a good project for character development. He's still kind of messed up from Don Krieg, and isn't taking a strong stance on his own ideas and opinions…yet.

[Rant warning]

So…should I be insulted when someone leaves a vague tirade against my character design? Or flattered they decided to tell me their mind? I don't mind people telling me if they're uncertain about things, or if they don't particularly like one aspect of the story, but telling me my character is only half as good as the original and half as courageous doesn't actually tell me much at all. Specifics would be nice. Such as, it is too ranty when the SIC freaks out? Too many freak outs in general (though, how else should a real-world character feel when plopped into the world of fantasy? Even original story characters don't fare too well if they were just regular people. And honestly, Usopp freaked out a lot anyway in the canon. The only difference I perceive is you can now hear the character's thoughts).

And by half as good…in what way? Should I have overpowered the character? Left Usopp _exactly_ like canon? Learning from the resources Usopp had at hand isn't exactly a great way to learn things quickly and efficiently. And I didn't feel compelled to add a mysterious mentor in my story (though others are welcomed to do so if they do something similar to this). It's a miracle the character translated headcanon theories, memory, and some hearsay into what they have so far, I think.

That's how I'm going to take the vague use of "half as good" as meaning skills.

When one goes out to become essentially a criminal, how is the ability to lie bad? Is it because the SIC is lying to their crewmates still? The old adage is better to be forgiven later than to ask for permission. Or in this case, better to be forgiven later than ask for trouble now. There isn't enough motivation or a good enough reason for the SIC to willingly give up their secrets. And considering they are still amnesiac about their own history, they would only sound mad if they did tell without something more telling to back up their words. I do realize it's not like the SIC can keep this ruse up forever, and I already have planned out when to reveal things.

As for canon-verse…I kind of did hinted (outright said) things will either twist to fit the original timeline or ripple into some sort of crazy thing later. The SIC was never intended to mess up the East Blue Saga events significantly, and we've ventured two chapter into the Grand Line. I have every intention of making canon events go screwy in a few more chapters, but there's a build-up to those kinds of things.

I really do appreciate when reviewers tell me their thoughts, but if you lean toward scorn rather than proper critiquing to give me some sort of framework to amend and improve my writing, why should I bother changing my writing style just on that? And you're right, it's been ten chapters and 46,000+ words. Try telling me something more substantial to uproot the basis of my story, please.

[Rant End]

I hope no one else takes this author rant too badly, but I want to lay down my own expectations this early in the story. Tell me what you find _genuinely_ wrong, and I'll listen. Tell me vague nonsense without even some sort of specifics to work off of, and I can't exactly do anything but ask in the manner above. If all else fails, PM me. I'll surely read it by the time I'm updating a chapter at the latest, and I will take the time to read it first and possibly make changes then. This isn't an excuse or invitation to badger me with inanity or baseless criticisms, though. If you take the time to write out a full message, at least give me something solid to construct an answer or fix. Seriously, I'm a writer of fanfiction. I don't expect anything I write to be that good, honest, since I write for pure enjoyment without much feedback except by other users.

* * *

Shortly after leaving Whiskey Peak, Nami and Gin revealed their justly earned loot: a few thousand beli liberated from the bounty hunters ("Sheesh, they hardly had anything!") and a chest.

Nami was on it in seconds, bobby pin fiddling inside at least locks. Finally, the top popped open to reveal:

"What? Bullets and handcuffs? Why the hell would they lock something like that up?" complained Nami. I on the other hand, madly grinned.

"Oh Luffy~" I trilled, grabbing a handcuff, "if you would mind, try holding this."

The moment Luffy touched it, I knew exactly what we had. Instantly, the straw-hatted pirate legs turned to jelly, and he nearly flopped to the ground.

"Luffy!" everyone shouted in alarm.

"Ugh…feels like that time Smoky jabbed me with his pole-thing. He said it was…caramel saki?"

"That's kairoseki!" gasped Princess Vivi. "The Whiskey Peak base kept a supply of it around for devil fruit users, but we thought we would have everything handled after you all appeared to have fallen asleep. Plus, that's our only supply of it, and we didn't trust anyone stationed here to fire the bullets without wasting them."

"It's an invaluable resource on the Grand Line. This is about two dozen bullets and two sets of handcuffs! A fortune if we tried buying it anywhere on the Grand Line from what I hear," I announced with a wide grin, thoughts churning. It was wishful thinking originally, that led me to ask Gin to check while he was fetching Nami, but it looked like I was right!

"Did you say fortune?" smirked Nami, beli practically glowing from her eyes.

I flailed my hand in protest. "They're great deterrents against devil fruit users most importantly! They act like the dipping a user into the sea, robbing them of their strength and powers. But the marines control most of the supplies, so we would have had to gone through the black market like Baroque Works might have. Same if we were selling. Nami, please take some of the funds allotted for ammunition as recompense; I got some tools from the weapon shop owner, so if I can find a forge or strong enough fire, I can melt them down enhance our weapons!"

 _Fire…maybe I could ask Ace?_ A fire Logia could surely function like a personal furnace, right?

"Kairoseki weapons, huh?" considered Gin for a moment. He grinned sharply. "I'm in."

"Nami, my gift for you is almost ready, but I also have some plans for a better version later; if you want, I can put some kairoseki on the tip of a dagger for emergency use for now," I offered her. Hopefully we can find or buy more of the stuff later on in our journey. So caught up in the whirl of ideas, I didn't notice the discerning look in our swordsman's eye until he spoke up.

"Hey, Usopp, I think it's about time we all had that talk you promised."

I rather not, to be quite honest, but I did promise Zoro I would. So, with the crew and our guest all gathered, I gave them a summarized version of my current lineup of skills, how I heard about them in a story (which is technically a half-truth since I did hear about Rokushiki from a fictional source), and how I was still missing a few more skills.

"Hmm, if I'm reading this right, the only abilities your current repertoire is missing is that body armor skill and the flexibility skill," Nami hummed.

"To turn one's legs into swords," mumbled Sanji with a gleam in his eyes.

"Shitty Cook, even if you can do that, I'll still be a hundred times better fighter than you," Zoro established.

While those two got into another of their daily scuffles, everyone else was still thinking. Well, _most_ everyone was doing their thinking in their heads.

" _Shishishi,_ cool! So, someone who can master all six is considered superhuman? Usopp, teach me!" insisted Luffy.

"Err, I'm not sure how to teach them to be quite honest. It's not like I actually mastered them. Honestly, I would like some real world examples, so I could figure out what I'm doing wrong. Although, I'm pretty certain I just lack a lot of the stamina and strength needed to power the full versions; by all means, at least you, Zoro, and Sanji should be able to use these powers with no problem beyond figuring them out."

"Usopp is right."

I nearly yelped as Sanji came back into the conversation, suit still pristine.

"R-right? About what?"

Sanji ignored me and continued, "If someone like him can manage these kinds of skills, there's no reason why we can't. Since his are the bastard versions anyways, we should probably focus on making our own."

"For once we agree, Curly-Brow," Zoro chipped in. "We've seen Usopp use Quick Draw and Flicker plenty of times. And if we have to fight more Baroque Works agents, we'll see him perform the others soon enough. It would be boring and predictable if we all could do the exact same thing as Usopp.

Nami shrugged. "Whatever. It's good to know what you can do, though, Usopp. This way we can plan around your particular skillset. It probably would be a good idea for us to do some team practices, though. It would a good idea if we could work in tandem against strong opponents like the top officers of Baroque Works."

Gin nodded. "Usopp-san's other skills are quite interesting, and I have been tinkering with some ideas of my own. Cooperative battle styles could be quite useful. At the very least, we would have some sort of training to fall back on if we need to tag-team multiple enemies at once. I know working with Usopp definitely factored in to the success of capturing our two prisoners."

Luffy chuckled, "Okay, then that's decided! Usopp, you can show us your skills, but don't bore us with the details too much. We'll all practice fighting together…ne, Nami, when should we…?"

"Only on deserted islands or on island with plenty of wilderness for you monsters to practice," said navigator insisted quite pointedly. Nami had the right, Zoro and Luffy tried sparring at some island we used as a rest stop and nearly totaled half of the forest. Quite impressive; the villagers weren't so lighthearted about it, though.

Princess Vivi didn't offer any advice of her own, probably because this was a crew matter, and she didn't consider herself a crew member (at least, right now she didn't).

Once we finished up our discussions, we headed out on deck...

And finally noticed the storm minutes away from crashing into us.

Princess Vivi looked like she was in a perpetual state of bewildered and flummoxed in regards to us. Apparently, our earlier actions didn't quite hammer home how the crew _didn't_ fit into any of Princess Vivi's expectations for a pirate crew. Especially since we waved off her worries about Grand Line weather. I couldn't blame her for looking at us like we were all mad (everyone was pretty abnormal or eccentric in some fashion).

Still wasn't going to work myself up because from here on after the next island, our crew will be smack dab in a near constant series of unfortunate and plain disastrous events that will involve the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people.

I didn't even bat an eye when that giant porpoise nearly crushed us ( _Then why did you cry out in fear, clinging to the mast until Luffy ordered everyone to run away from the freaking huge dolphin?_ snarked inner Usopp).

* * *

Anyways! A few days later saw us to the next island. I had just finished giving some sedatives to our groggy prisoners. They understood very quickly upon waking to not mess with me after I used Snipe Kick to clip a few hairs off Mr. 13 cheeks. And Gin may or may not have been lurking nearby. Plus, they didn't really have much to complain about since Sanji fed them decent food rather than the prison rations, I padded the chains pretty well for their comfort, and they have an actual cot to sleep on down here. I even removed some of their restraints, so they were free to glare at me all they want from behind their eyewear.

Vast trees flanked the shores. Blood-curling roars could be heard deeper in. I looked up and saw some sort of archaeopteryx flying overhead. Sanji who had glimpsed it was too distracted by Nami to even note the very not birdlike features. Say the clawed wings and freaking teeth. The whole island seemed to shake as a distant volcano erupted. From the edged of the jungle, a huge tiger stumbled out and collapsed. I was half-expecting Luffy suggest we pull to the shore and collect it for lunch.

Yep, this was Little Garden. The very ironically named island. Full of prehistoric animals. And tropical diseases. And those giants who made New York Skyscrapers seem tiny. No problem.

"Luffy, I have the this-island-is-crazy-dangerous disease!" I trembled, eyes darting around. This dank, dark, dangerous island wouldn't be so bad if I could stop picking out the signs of huge carnivores everywhere from just around the shoreline.

"I agree. We could just quietly drift along the coast or this river until the log pose finishes recording! Besides, we want to reach Alabasta as fast as possible, right?" Nami tried to persuade our captain.

A series of giggles didn't reassure the two of us at all.

"Sanji!" shouted Luffy. "Prepare me a bento!"

"A bento?"

" _Shishishi,_ a pirate bento! I smell an adventure awaiting us!" giggled the straw-hatted teen with blatant anticipation and glee.

Nami wasn't having it, but Luffy was too stubborn. Then Princess Vivi volunteered to come along with Carue in tow.

So, after those two strode so casually strolled into the dinosaur-infested jungle, the next duo also left, both still arguing about who can catch the bigger prey. Sanji also said we should take the ship further upriver and see if we can resupply our water supplies and maybe check around for any edible plants.

So, good news! The river did lead us through this totally sketchy swamp before we found this great freshwater lake being fed by a crystal-clear waterfall further ahead. Now…how did we know it was genuinely drinkable water, you might ask? Well…

"Usopp! Gin! We need to get out of here! Little Garden is known for-!" Earlier, Nami ran inside her room as she recalled reading something about this very island. Looks like she found the book.

"Giant prehistoric creatures, many of whom could regard us as appetizers?" I whimpered, not turning around to face her. Nami's eyes darted from my ghost-pale complexion to Gin's clenched hands around his tonfa.

"You have to be fucking kidding me," Gin deadpanned. Nami slowly turned to see what had gotten our attention. Scattered across the shore were several Oda-help-us dinosaurs! And not a few sported fangs in their beaky jaws.

*Thump* And there went our navigator.

I turned, putting on my fakest confident grin as I said, "Well, Sanji did say we needed more meat. And water, so…"

Gin mumbled something about "I did ask for this, didn't I?" before going to adjust our course for the dinosaur-infested shores nearest to the waterfall. I kind of wanted him to pick up on the fact that I did _not_ want to get any closer, but my words _were_ the truth, so…

Did I say how much I really didn't like Little Garden from the get-go?

Between Gin's iron-hard strikes and my sharpshooting, we had several small dinosaur corpses to pad our larders. Maybe this in addition to what our brave hunters end up bringing back will keep us supplied until Luffy's next midnight stroll through the food storage space. Nami blinked her eyes opened, rubbed her face, looked up- and screamed as she saw the two of us stripping the dinosaur skeletons for steaks. I suppose the whole covered in blood and guts with freshly decapitated and whole heads full of killer teeth and deathly yellow eyes sitting next to us didn't help matters.

Several minutes passed of telling Nami to settle down and that we had Gin to protect us, before the navigator finally felt like she could deal with the reality of Little Garden. Gin and I both took a dip into the water to clean off the byproducts of our impromptu lizard skinning, Nami kept an eye out for more predators from the crow's nest. I found a wonderful small cove sheltered away from the main water body, clothes and bag secured out of the water with a little flotation helper I made from some wood scraps.

About halfway done with my wash-up, I noticed something strange. Not a strange noise but the lack of noise. Until a little while ago, I heard a constant cacophony of roars, growls, screeches, and rustles not too far away from this part of Little Garden. Neither the anime nor the manga explored much into the interior of Little Garden aside from the areas around the giant sea king skeletons imitating mountains. I cocked my head in question, turning my back to the forest for just a minute…

* * *

 _Definitely should have listened to my inner Usopp_ I sobbed into my head as I was toted upside down on a stick like some sort of pig carcass. There were people dressed in lizard and tiger skins all around me, marching steadily deep into the dank and creepy swamp. I was in the middle of trying to figure out what had scared off the wildlife and didn't notice a thing, say, like a bone club smashing into the back of my skull.

Finally, we reached our destination. My eyes turned into saucers as I beheld a bewildering sight that sent inner Usopp screaming in terror and my more logical side flummoxed. In a clearing that dipped down quite a bit rose a very large curly trunk tree. But what caught my eye was the thing hanging off the longest and most curled branch: a devil fruit. It looked like some sort of dragonfruit but aquamarine blue with swirl patterns and the peels looked a tad feathery than leathery.

"You, outsider!" grunted the one wearing a huge dinosaur skull like a cap. This guy was big; not giant big but bigger than someone like Krieg easily. "You have dared to defile the sacred grotto of our ancestors!" _Of course, I did._ "As punishment, you shall be sacrificed to the guardians to the great Jewel of the Tree of the Forgotten Ones."

Why did that sentence send a chill through me? Could be due to what look like the velociraptors bigger cousins that jumped down from said tree. They had feathers all over them and a mouth full of serrated teeth.

"Look, can't we come to an understanding? Please?" I begged them as they brought me closer to the tree.

"Do not worry. This is a much kinder punishment. If you had damaged the grotto, we would have hunted you down, and skinned you alive, preserving your meat for the great annual feast like we do with other trespassers," one of the warriors kindly informed me.

Yeah, totally buying that while you haul me to those deadly lizards like some sort of virgin sacrifice. Or a pig roast, but I really didn't want to temp fate with the idea of open fires…wait…WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!

 _Why, mysterious force?_ I silently (and no, damn it, I had something in my eyes, probably from hanging upside-down!) only did I offend a crazy tribe of people who worshipped a devil fruit, but they were CANNIBALS?!

"Can't we work something out?" I squeaked. To answer, they threw me down into the pit. The bird-like predators locked onto me. I squealed in fright as they slowly approached.

In a few more movements they could be on top of me in an instant. Heck, they were playing with me in the first place since they could be on me in a hot minute. To top things off, I was still only in my swim trunks!

I did the only sane thing I could do; I ran screaming, startling the raptors for a brief moment before they all charged. By only the grace of my semi-super human skills did I keep from getting a huge vital chunk of me snapped up by the vicious reptiles. With the tribespeople surrounding the entire perimeter of the pit, wouldn't make it far even if I used Scaling Step. With the conventional avenues of escape closed off, I made a break for their sacred tree-thing, damn the consequences. I heard cries of anger as I ran up the tree, barely scrabbling into the upper story before dagger-like teeth snapped on the air just below my feet. Hysteric, I didn't realize where I was crawling until I noticed the growls and shouts of anger from the cannibals had risen to low roar of vengeance. I was afraid to look ahead of the branch to which I found myself clinging. I did look. The devil fruit was just within arm's reach. If the savages had long-ranged weapons, they probably would have resorted to them, sacred tree or not.

One of the dinosaurs got bold as it saw me peek out from the main body of the tree. I thought I was done for as the thing leaped up, teeth grazing by my face-

*THWACK!* A distinct steel weapon came twirling through the air, smashing right into the dinosaur's cranium, knocking it out cold. There was a yellow satchel hanging off the handle somehow, so I wasted no time yanking if off before gravity reclaimed the heavy weapon. I looked out to see Gin and Nami fighting back-to-back, bo staff and tonfa meeting clubs, primitive swords, and axes. Working on automatic, I readied my slingshot and rained down fire, water, pachinko, and pain on the lizards who had cornered me up the tree before switching targets. The natives blanched as fire seemed to rain down from the sky on them, never knowing it was delivered by the sniper who went back to crouching under the dense foliage.

I smirked as the unexpected attacks drove the crazy people into chaos. Clearing my throat, I bellowed in my deepest, most demon Zoro-like voice, "HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME?! I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR GOD, HIS PROJECTED HUMAN FORM! I ENTRUSTED THIS TREASURE TO YOU, YET THIS IS THE THANKS I RECEIVE? THIS WAS A TEST OF YOUR PERCEPTIVENESS AND YOU HAVE FAILED ME GREATLY! A DOOM OF FIRE SHALL BEFALL YOU!"

The natives all turned to regard the voice coming out of the tree. All of them screamed in fear and ran.

"Huh, was I that scar-"

A shadow suddenly covered the sunlight. The looks on Nami and Gin's face said it all. I slowly turned around.

"Well, aren't you little humans spirited? I must admit, even I find those people a bit much after nearly a century of sharing this island," chuckled what could only be a FREAKING VIKING GIANT! Forget Mohmoo, this guy was like the human equivalent of a sea king in size! It was one thing to look down on the sea kings turning your ship into a bath toy, it was another to have a legendary being LOOMING OVER YOU!

"Anyways, little humans. As I was saying, do you happen to have any rum with you?" asked the behemoth of a human-sized sentient. I think the thinking center of my brain shut down as only the same refrain of THERE'S A FREAKING GIANT HERE kept repeating in my head.

Finally, both Nami and mine minds finally clicked back into action. We did the only natural thing: we screamed bloody murder. First some dinosaurs, then cannibals, now a giant?

"Excuse me, but do you mean us any harm?" Gin bravely asked, not flinching as the giant gave a great bellowing laugh.

"As long as you don't foolishly try and attack me, we'll get along just fine," the giant reassured us (not really). "I was just taking a stroll through the jungle, getting a drink of water from that lake when I noticed your ship docked by the falls. When I head the racket from the local nuisances of the island, I naturally got a little curious.

Those natives aren't very intelligent, even drove off a small civilized community that had settled on these shores. Very odd lot, worshipped that tree there and its devil fruit. Neither myself nor Dorry – the other giant who lives here – are really interested in such things, so we let them do as they pleased. However, with the lack of much ingenuity or sense, they lack any desire for the one thing Dorry and I really crave after all these years here: a good barrel of rum. As you may guess, there isn't much in the way of things to prepare some good alcohol on this island regardless, so some rum would be much appreciated, little humans."

I was very tempted to play dead with Nami (or faint), but if Gin could go and ask the giant his intentions so bluntly, then I can that courageous, too.

"S-sure! Sanji shouldn't have too much of a problem with sharing some of our alcohol since we have a lot from resupplying at Whiskey Peak. If you take us back to our ship and maybe redock back downstream, you're welcome to have some!" I nervously offered, laughter high pitched and smile strained.


End file.
